or Folkmote (Saxon, folgemote, that is, conventus populi), is composed of folk, people, and mote or gemote, to assemble, and originally signified a convention of the people, to consult respecting public affairs. According to Spelman, the folcmote was a sort of annual parliament or convention of the bishops, thanes, aldermen, and freemen, which assembled upon every May-day, and in which the laymen were sworn to defend one another and the king, and to preserve the laws of the kingdom, after which they consulted of the common safety. But, from the laws of the Saxon kings of England, Dr Bradly infers that it was an inferior court, held before the king's reeve or steward every month, to do folk right, or compose smaller differences; and that from it there lay an appeal to the superior courts. Squire seems to think that the folkmote was not essentially 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, in which 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, denoting celebrem ex tota civitate concentum. According to Kennett, the folkmote was a common council of all the inhabitants of a city, town, or borough, convened by sound of bell, or otherwise, to the Mote Hall or House; or it was applied to a larger congress of the freemen within a county, called the shiremote, where formerly all knights and military tenants did homage to the king, and elected the annual sheriff on the first of October, until 1315, when, to avoid tumults and riots, this popular form of election was by 3d Edward I. merged in nomination by the king. After this time 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 to signify any kind of popular or public meetings, as those of the tenants at the court leet or court baron, in which signification it was of a less extent than that above explained. (Paroch Antiq. 120.)