In Saxon law. A general assembly of the people in a town or ahire. It appears to have had judiclal func-tions of a limited nature, and also to have discharged political offices, such as deliberat-lng upon the affairs of the commonwealth or complaining of misgovernment, and probably possessed considerable powers of local self-government. The name was also given to any sort of a popular assembly. See Spelman; Manwood; Cunningham
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
