to a modern-day judge in a jury trial Bailiff, the servant of the court. He was responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the court were enacted, including being responsible for summoning the jury, and performing any arrests that had been ordered by the court Reeve, the bailiff's deputy (originally the servant of the hundred court, from which the court leet had taken its jurisdiction) Constable, to ensure order during court sessions Bedel, the usher; typically referred to as mace bearer, in modern-day courts leet, since this is largely all he now does Chapelayne, who provided prayers for the court Crier or bellman, responsible for announcing of the court's decisions to the people of the manor in general Affeerers, responsible for assessing amercements (setting the level of fines) Specialist professional inspectors, in lieu of portions of the jury's responsibility: Ale taster or ale conner, to ensure the quality of ale, and to check that true measures are used Carniters or "flesh tasters", to ensure the freshness of meat and poultry Bread weighers, responsible for verifying the freshness and weight of bread sold in the manor Searcher and sealer of leather, to ensure the quality of leather goods Surveyor of the highways or overseer of pavements, and brook looker or ditch reeve, to ensure the proper condition of roads and waterways Chimney peeper, to ensure chimneys were swept clean Scavenger, to ensure standards of hygiene within the lanes and privies and to try and prevent the spread of infectious disease Overseer of the poor, to collect and distribute alms Specialist enacting staff, in lieu of parts of the bailiff's responsibility The Hayward, responsible for enclosures and fences on common land The Woodward, responsible for patrolling woodlands and stopping poachers from hunting illegally The Pinherd, to impound stray animals in the pinfold Later history The introduction of magistrates gradually rebalanced power away from manorial lords. Magistrates were later given authority over view of frankpledge, which effectively negated the remaining significance of the court leet, and they gradually ceased to be held, largely dying out. Following the collapse of the feudal system, and subsequent rise of the Reformation, civil parishes had largely taken over the remaining authority of courts baron, and tithings were seen as a parish sub-division. Nevertheless, courts leet technically survived into the late 20th century, though almost all of the small number which still operated had become merely ceremonial, simply