Trial by Combat

"All the authorities on the subject, I believe, are collected in this excellent book." Sir Frederick Pollock, The Genius of the Common Law Although it is not known exactly when trial by combat, battle, or duel began as a method of conflict resolution, its origin certainly goes back before the feudal era. Neilson focuses on Britain and Scotland and traces this tradition from before the Middle Ages to the Appeal of Murder Act of 1819. CONTENTS PART I. PRELIMINARY: EUROPE 1. Before the Middle Ages 2. King Gundobald, A.D. 501 3. Mode of Battle 4. Among the Norsemen 5. The Church 6. Decadence and Extinction PART II. ORIGIN IN BRITAIN 7. A Question Stated 8. Norse Evidence 9. English and Scotch Evidence 10. The Question Answered PART III. ENGLAND, 1066-1300: LAW 11. Legal Outline 12. Sketch of Procedure 13. The Duel in Finance 14. The Approver 15. The Champion 16. Some Churchmen's Champions 17. Another Champion's Contract 18. Three Early Duels, A.D. 1096-1163 19. A Hibernian Hero 20. Charters and Charter Stories 21. An Incident, A.D. 1267 22. Reactionary Signs 23. Review and Prospect PART IV. SCOTLAND TILL 1300: LAW 24. In Early Scotland 25. Under David the First 26. Under William the Lion 27. Writ of Right 28. The Battle 29. An Argument 30. Exemptions from Duel 31. Regiam Majestâtem 32. In the Regiam 33. Crime in the Regiam 34. Under Alexander II and after 35. The Duel Described 36. March Law 37. 'The Lawis of Merchis,' A.D. 1249 38. Recorded Duels from 115...