Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A meeting of a ward; also, a court formerly held in every ward in the city of London. Also called ward-mote-court or inquest.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Anciently, a meeting of the inhabitants of a ward; also, a court formerly held in each ward of London for trying defaults in matters relating to the watch, police, and the like.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun historical A meeting of the inhabitants of a ward.
  • noun historical A court formerly held in each ward of London, England for trying defaults in matters relating to the watch, police, and the like.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

ward +‎ mote

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Examples

  • Aldermen constitute the executive department of the Corporation; with them rests the cognizance of the return of every civic officer elected at a wardmote court, and also of the election of common-councillors.

    The Corporation of London, Its Rights and Privileges William Ferneley Allen

  • Monday, he attended the Lord Mayor at Guildhall, "to receive the several presentments of the respective wardmote inquests of each ward, -- and at the same time to swear in all new constables for the ensuing year."

    The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 20, No. 569, October 6, 1832 Various

  • The City of London represents a county, and as such is divided into hundreds, called wards; each having its own wardmote, presided over by its own alderman.

    The Corporation of London, Its Rights and Privileges William Ferneley Allen

  • He sat in the parliament of 1523, and towards the close of that year served on a wardmote inquest for Bread Street Ward.

    London and the Kingdom - Volume I

  • It appears from a newspaper of the day (1973) that although the mayor caused the Act of Common Council, setting forth the qualifications of persons who had a right to vote on the occasion, to be read at the wardmote, he refused to make proclamation that those who were not qualified should depart from the hall.

    London and the Kingdom - Volume II

  • The latter, of course, consisted of the aggregate body of citizens, anciently designated immensa communitas, or folkmote, who were annually to elect four persons at the wardmote for each ward to represent the commonalty on all occasions of a deliberative nature.

    The Corporation of London, Its Rights and Privileges William Ferneley Allen

  • Mr. Bell mentions that in 1618 the wardmote laid complaint against Timothy

    The Social History of Smoking George Latimer Apperson 1897

  • Secondly, they are presidents of the wardmote and governors each of that ward whereby he was elected.

    The Commonwealth of Oceana James Harrington 1644

  • For the liveries that reside in the same ward, meeting at the wardmote inquest (to which it belongs to take cognizance of all sorts of nuisances and violations of the customs and orders of the city, and to present them to the court of aldermen), have also power to make election of two sorts of magistrates or officers; the first of elders or aldermen of the ward, the second of deputies of the same, otherwise called common councilmen.

    The Commonwealth of Oceana James Harrington 1644

  • Nevertheless it was thought advisable to prohibit the usual entertainments which took place after the wardmote elections on St. Thomas’s day, in order to minimise the risk of infection. (

    London and the Kingdom - Volume II

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