BROMSGROVE COURT LEET
Bromsgrove's Ancient Court Leet Celebrates Fair Day Saturday 20th June 2026
Bromsgrove’s much loved annual Fair Day returns to the High Street on Saturday 20th June 2026 with the usual vibrancy, colour and tradition.
This time-honoured event brings the community together to relive centuries-old customs and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Members of the Court will be available to speak with visitors, answer questions, and share insights into the unique traditions and responsibilities associated with the Court.
Fair Day celebrates the Royal Charter granted by King John in 1199, allowing the town to hold a market and “take holiday” on Midsummer’s Day, the feast of the town’s patron saint, St John the Baptist. Now held on the Saturday closest to Midsummer’s Day, this year being the 20th June, the event features the traditional procession of Bromsgrove Court Leet Members and visiting dignitaries from Courts Leet in the neighbouring towns of Alcester, Henley in Arden and Warwick, along with consorts and guests. Beginning at Housman Hall on Kidderminster Road at 10.30am and concluding at the Housman Statue on the High Street.
At the statue members of the Court will carry out their traditional duties, reporting on the quality of goods offered for sale in the town. The Bailiff, Mr Robert Spittle will proclaim the Charter granted by King John. Throughout the day the themed Street Market will feature local traders and charities hosting stalls at the north end of the town (Argos end), many will be in traditional costumes.
Positions within the Court can be recognised by the coloured robes worn by the members. The Bailiff wears a blue robe with faux fur trim and a bicorn hat. The Reeve also wears a bicorn hat and a purple robe. Members who have served as Bailiff to the Court are Ealdormen wearing red robes. Jurors, the officers of the Court, yet to be Bailiff, wear green robes with Tythingmen in blue robes. The Headborough wears a red coat and top hat, the Market Master wears a brown robe and the Bellman wears green and silver with a tricorn hat.
The Bailiff, Mr Robert Spittle, is looking forward to meeting visitors on Fair Day, he said “We welcome individuals who are interested in learning about our historic organisation to come along and speak to us on Fair Day. Perhaps visitors are interested in understanding how the Court operates, or maybe they would like to find out more about joining the Court. Everyone is welcome to celebrate the town’s heritage with us.”
Anyone interested in joining the Court should, in the first instance, chat with a member of the Court Leet about the different roles, what’s involved and the commitment expected from members.
Application Process
Members of Bromsgrove Court must live or work with the Bromsgrove District.
Potential members complete an application form. Two existing members of the Court are required to propose and second the new application. The application is reviewed by the Bailiff, Reeve, Affeerors and members of the Inner Court. If suitable, the candidate attends an interview with members of the Inner Court.
The application is proposed to all Court members at with the Great Autumn Court or the Great Spring Court. If the applicant is successful at each stage of the process, they will be invited to attend the next Great Court where they will swear an oath and become a member of the Court.
Each year members pay an Annual Levy and commit to attend the main events in the year, wherever possible.
If you are unable to attend Fair Day to talk to a member of Court, please make contact via the website.
Bromsgrove Court Leet 2014 Fair Day Video
and a Brief History of the Court
Bromsgrove Court Leet exists today to preserve and uphold the traditions of the past, as a source of pride for the people of Bromsgrove and to support local businesses, schools, organisations and charities in a ceremonial role.
Each year the court organises Ale Tasting evenings in local inns and holds the Fair Day each year on the closest Saturday to midsummer to celebrate the 1199 Charter granted to the town by King John (see events page for more details).
At the Autumn Court on 7th November 2019 Ms Joanne Slade was unanimously elected as the first female Bailiff and head of the Ancient CourtLeet and Court Baron of the Manor of Bromsgrove. Click here for the article in the Bromsgrove Standard:
The court leet was a historical court in England and Wales. At a very early time in medieval England the Lord of the Manor exercised or claimed certain jurisdictional franchises. The most important of these was the "view of frankpledge" and its associated police jurisdiction. Some time in the later Middle Ages the court baron, when exercising these powers, gained the name of leet, and, later, of court leet. The quo warrantor proceedings of Edward I established a sharp distinction between the court baron, exercising strictly manorial rights, and the court leet, depending for its jurisdiction upon royal franchise.
The court leet was a court of record, and its duty was not only to view the pledges but to try by jury, and punish, all crimes committed within the jurisdiction. The steward of the court acted as judge, presiding wholly in a judicial character, the ministerial acts being executed by the bailiff.
The court leet began to decline in the fourteenth century, being superseded by the more modern magistrates' courts, but in many cases courts leet operated until nearly the middle of the nineteenth century. The courts leet survived for formal purposes until their legal jurisdiction was abolished in 1977 The courts were formally abolished in 1998 but the term may still be found in ceremonial use, for example at Bromsgrove, Alcester, Warwick and Henley in Arden.
Bromsgrove Court Leet Archiving Project
A project to catalogue documents held in the archives at The Hive has resulted in the Bromsgrove Court Leet Archives being made available to the public for the first time.
In 2008 the retiring Custodian of the Records, Mr Martin Gorman, a solicitor in Bromsgrove, deposited five large boxes of dusty documents with the Worcestershire County Archive Service. Included within the boxes were 17 Court Rolls dating from 1726 to 1891, presentments from 1737 to 1901, various legal documents from 1573 to 1910, the agendas and papers from Autumn and Spring Court meetings from 1892 to 1912 along with various menus and press cuttings.
At the Spring Court meeting in 2023, the current Custodian of the Records, Jo Slade proposed to the members of the Court that the deposited boxes be professionally catalogued so that a complete record of what is stored can be made available. The cataloguing process included cleaning the documents, giving each document a number and recording the contents of each document. From this record the Senior Archivist team have uploaded the information to the online database which is available for anyone to explore. Researchers interested in viewing the documents can do so in the search rooms in the Archives Department at The Hive.
An event hosted by the Bailiff Philip Thomas was held was held at The Hive in Worcester to celebrate the end of the cataloguing stage of the project and announced that the catalogue entries are available to view online.
Guests included Deputy Lieutenant Dr Umesh Udeshi and High Sheriff of Worcestershire Charles Moyle JP. Members of Bromsgrove Court Leet, representatives from local historical societies and employees from The Hive and Explore the Past were also in attendance.
To explore Bromsgrove Court Leet archives visit Explore the Past online or at The Hive in Worcester.