Bailiff (France)

"[2] This word derives from the Vulgar Latin term bajulivus meaning "official in charge of a castle" (i.e., a royal castellan[citation needed] or "porter.

"[1] In the late 12th and early 13th century, King Philip II, an able and ingenious administrator who founded the central institutions on which the French monarchy's system of power would be based, prepared the expansion of the royal demesne through his appointment of bailiffs in the king's northern lands (the domaine royal),[3] based on medieval fiscal and tax divisions (the "baillie") which had been used by earlier sovereign princes such as the Duke of Normandy.

Moreover, in the 14th century, provosts no longer were in charge of collecting domainal revenues, except in farmed provostships, having instead yielded this responsibility to royal receivers (receveurs royaux).

Provosts therefore retained the sole function of inferior judges over vassals with original jurisdiction concurrent with bailies over claims against nobles and actions reserved for royal courts (cas royaux).

This followed a precedent established in the chief feudal courts in the 13th and 14th centuries in which summary provostship suits were distinguished from solemn bailiary sessions.

"The Bailiff" from Guyot Marchand's Danse Macabre (14th century): Death, who has summoned me Without right of appeal, casts down my joys. I see no more moves nor routes to take; Against Death there are no appeals.