 The English jurist Edward Coke described the court in his "The Compleate Copyholder" (1644) as "the chief prope and pillar of a manor which no sooner faileth than the manor falleth to the ground".The court baron was constituted by the lord of the manor or his steward and a representative group of tenants known as the manorial homage, whose job was to make presentations to the court and act as a jury.The court baron was originally held every three weeks, although its sittings became increasingly infrequent during the 14th century, and by the 15th century it was often convened only twice a year.