a public place in a city or town, in which live cattle, provisions, or other goods, are set to sale; and also a privilege, either by grant or prescription, by which a town is enabled to keep a market.

Court of the Clerk of the MARKET, is incident to every fair and market in the kingdom, to punish misdemeanors therein; and a court of pie poindre is to determine all disputes relating to private or civil property. The object of this jurisdiction (see Stat. 17 Car. II. cap. 10. 22 Car. II. cap. 8. 23 Car. II. cap. 12.) is principally the cognizance of weights and measures to try whether they be according to the true standard thereof or not; which standard was anciently committed to the custody of the bishop, who appointed some clerk under him to inspect the abuse of them more narrowly; and hence this officer, though now usually a layman, is called the clerk of the market.—If they be not according to the standard, then, beside the punishment of the party by fine, the weights and measures themselves ought to be burnt. This is the lowest court of criminal jurisdiction in the kingdom.