or FOLKMOTE, (Sax. Folgemote, i.e. convenitus populi), is compounded of folk, populus, and mote, or gemote, convenire; and signified originally, as Sonner in his Saxon Dictionary informs us, a general assembly of the people, to consider of and order matters of the commonwealth. And Sir Henry Spelman says, the folcmote was a sort of annual parliament or convention of the bishops, thanes, aldermen, and freemen, upon every May-day yearly; where the laymen were sworn to defend one another and the king, and to preserve the laws of the kingdom; and then consulted of the common safety. But Dr Brady infers from the laws of the Saxon kings of England, that it was an inferior court, held before the king's reeve or steward, every month, to do folk right, or compose smaller differences, from whence there lay appeal to the superior courts; Gloss. p. 48. Squire seems to think the folcmote not distinct from the shiremote, or common general meeting of the county. See his Angl. Sax. Gov. 155. n.

Manwood mentions folcmote as a court holden in London, wherein all the folk and people of the city did complain of the mayor and aldermen, for misgovernment within the said city; and this word is still in use among the Londoners, and denotes celebrem ex tota ci- citate conventum. Stow's Survey. According to Ken-

net, the folcmote was a common council of all the inhabitants of a city, town, or borough, convened often by sound of bell, to the Mote Hall or House; or it was applied to a larger congress of all the freemen within a county, called the shiremote, where formerly all knights and military tenants did fealty to the king, and elected the annual sheriff on the 1st of October; till this popular election, to avoid tumults and riots, devolved to the king's nomination, anno 1315, 3 Edw. I. After which the city folkmote was swallowed up in a select committee or common council, and the county folkmote in the sheriff's tourn and assizes.

The word folkmote was also used for any kind of popular or public meetings; as of all the tenants at the court leet, or court baron, in which signification it was of a less extent. Paroch. Antig. 120.