Husting  A hustings originally referred to a native Germanic governing assembly, the thing. By metonymy, the term may now refer to any event, such as debates or speeches, during an election campaign where one or more of the representative candidates are present. The singular husting was once used, but only in Old and Middle English. The origin of the term comes from the Old English "hūsting" and Old Norse "hūsþing", literally "house thing", an assembly of the household retainers of a king, earl, or chief, contrasted with the folkmoot (Old English "folcgemōt"), an assembly of the whole people. "Husting", more usually in the plural form but grammatically singular "hustings", developed to mean a court of the City of London. This court was formerly the county court for the city and was held before the Lord Mayor, the sheriffs and aldermen, for the purpose of hearing pleas of land, common pleas and appeals from the sheriffs. It had probate jurisdiction and the ability to register wills. The Charter of Harthacnut (1032) contains a reference to "hustings" weights, which points to the early establishment of this court. It is doubtful whether courts of this name were held in other towns, but John Cowell (1554–1611) in his "Interpreter" of 1601 ("sub verbo" "Hustings"), says that according to Fleta there were such courts at Winchester, York, Lincoln, the Isle of Sheppey, and elsewhere. However, the passage from Fleta, as the New English Dictionary points out, does not necessarily imply this (II. lv. "Habet etiam Rex curiam in civitatibus ... et in locis ... sicut in Hustingis London", Winton, est.). This hustings court jurisdiction eventually became obsolete, but the court still sits occasionally for registering gifts made to the city. Today, the Hustings Court tradition can be found in some areas of the United States, such as in Virginia, where Hustings Courts formerly decided local criminal and other matters. In Richmond, Virginia, there is also a park called Hustings Court Square, where polling votes used to take place. The husting was a platform or pavilion, a temporary structure erected at the place of an election. The returning officer (in most borough constituencies the Mayor or equivalent civic dignitary, and in county elections the High Sheriff of the county) was responsible for the detailed timing of the election and the provision of a suitable husting.