"God save the Queen and the Lord of the Manor."
[Footnote 1: Mr Arthur Kiching's office. The sword is kept by Mr Boulton.]
[Illustration: THE OLD CUSTOM OF RIDING T' FAIR AT PICKERING.
Two of the Duchy tenants carrying the halbert and spetum as they used to
appear when the market proclamation was read.
]
[Illustration: THE HALBERT (7 feet long) and SPETUM (6 feet 2 inches)
that were carried by the men who accompanied the Steward of the Duchy when
he declared the markets open.]
The parchment is now in the possession of the present steward of the Duchy
property, Mr J.D. Whitehead, who was appointed in 1887 and was the last to
read the proclamation. From the market-place the steward with his armed
attendants rode to the east end of Hungate, and to one or two other points
in the town, reading the proclamation at each place.
The Court Leet, or, as its full title appears, the Court Leet, View of
Frank Pledge, Court Baron, Copy-hall and Customary Court of the Castle
Manor and Honour of Pickering, still meets every second year in October or
November. Twenty-seven out of thirty-eight townships used to be
represented by a constable and four men. Appointed annually and with much
solemnity were the following list of officials:--
2 Constables.
2 Market Searchers.
2 Yarn Tellers.
2 Reeves.
2 Ale Tasters.
2 Leather Searchers.
2 Pinders (for stray cattle).
2 Water Searchers.
Of all these only the two pinders are now appointed to deal with stray
cattle, and the sole use of the court at the present time is that of the
enforcement of the clearing out of the drains and ditches on the Duchy
property.
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