Henley-in-Arden (also known as simply Henley) is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England.

In 1220 in the reign of Henry III, the lord of the manor, Peter de Montfort, procured the grant of a weekly Monday market[5] and an annual fair to last two days, for the town.

[7][8][10] The initial prosperity came to an end during the Second Barons' War when, in 1265, Peter de Montfort died fighting at the Battle of Evesham.

These local borough officials were chosen annually by a meeting of former bailiffs and constables, and were members of the jury of the biannual court leet.

The court rolls are largely concerned with (in Dyer's words) modest problems, such as preventing the poor from migrating into the town (which burgers considered would become a burden on the rates and result in the destruction of hedges for fuel), the ringing of loose pigs, and the prevention of horses being parked in the streets.

In the early 17th century there was a marked increase in the landless poor, squatting on commons and on wasteland in the Forest of Arden, and such people were generally regarded as violent and criminal by townsfolk.

Between 1590 and 1620 there were a disproportionate number of people, relative to the size of the population, presented by the court leet for engaging in violent affray, something which Underdown states to be "surely no coincidence".

This is believed to be a reference to events in Henley during the writing of that play, before its publication, when the denizens of Henley were prosecuted in the court leet for being in breach of a statute (enacted with the aim of ensuring economic support for the wool industry) that required the wearing of woollen caps on Sundays and other holy days.

[8][20] Although the castle no longer remains, several other historical buildings and structures still exist in the town, such as the parish churches of St. Nicholas and St. John the Baptist, the 15th century Guildhall (which has been restored), the medieval market cross (much of the decoration of whose shaft has been mutilated but which has three ranges of kneeling places and sculptures representing the Holy Trinity, the crucifixion of Jesus, and, it is believed, St Peter), the 16th century White Swan, and several half timbered residences along High Street, the main street of the town.

Another was run by Thomas Burman in 1795, who charged "one guinea/week for board and medicines, the patient finding their own linen and washing.

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