... and conducted much of their own government, under the control of a sheriff. In many ways, the county governed itself. The men of the county under the King and sheriff collected taxes, satisfied the king's demands and resolved disputes. As far as courts were concerned, the group of men of the shire under the sheriff, was the court. Each shire had its own folkways, traditional rules, customs and liberties. For example, if the men of the shire were unable to reach a decision, they might require an accused to test their guilt or innocence by carrying a red-hot iron or snatching a stone from a caldron of boiling water or some other "test" of truth. If the defendant's wound healed within a certain period, he was set free as innocent, if not, execution usually followed. Therefore, law was not consistent and there were no institutional processes, which worked for uniformity ...

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