Jurors
Jurors were appointed from local lists to judge cases at the Quarter Sessions. Property qualifications were introduced as far back as the thirteenth century and by the time of the case of Ned Edwards and his friends jurors had to be -
- male
- between 21 and 60
- in possession of freehold property worth at least �10 a year
or
- in possession of leasehold property worth at least �20 a year
or
- householders of houses worth �30 a year
As in the case of the jury at the trial of Ned Edwards and his friends, this tended to mean that the jury were mainly farmers (including tenants of the larger estates), landed gentry, or wealthier tradesmen.
Text and documentation supplied by Powys County Council Archive Department