Essoin

An essoin was a formal excuse or legal justification for a tenant’s absence from the manorial court. Tenants were obliged to attend (‘suit of court’), but legitimate reasons (such as illness, distance, royal service, religious obligations, or extreme weather) could be presented as an essoin. The essoin had to be formally presented, often by a representative (‘essoiner’), and the court decided its validity. Accepted essoins excused the tenant without penalty; rejected or repeated absences could result in fines.