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What are Quarter Sessions? These were Court sessions held four times a year in each County and County Borough. Presided over by a Justice of the Peace early Quarter Sessions dealt with both law and order and the administrative tasks which were later carried out by local government. |
QUARTER SESSIONS RECORDS AND FAMILY HISTORIANS
Quarter Sessions records contain a wealth of information that can add colour and texture to an ancestor’s life and turn the names and dates on a family tree into real people with real lives.
An ancestor would not need to be a lawbreaker to appear in Quarter Sessions records as the work of the Courts was varied. Justices made decisions on anything and everything from murder to the failure of a tradesman to display his name on the side of a cart. They would preside over cases ranging from disorderly singing, bankruptcy and witchcraft to administrative tasks concerning bridge and highways maintenance and the granting of licenses and permits.
Proceedings were often recorded in great detail and much about a person's life, family, housing and occupation may be discovered.
Many Poor Law cases found their way into the Quarter Sessions and if you are looking for settlement, maintenance or bastardy documents and can't find them amongst Poor Law records, it's worth looking through Quarter Sessions records.
The administrative tasks of the Quarter Sessions may also unearth a lot of information that could help draw a picture of everyday life in the community where a law-abiding ancestor lived.
HISTORY OF QUARTER SESSIONS
Justices of the Peace for each County and County Borough had met quarterly at Epiphany (January), Easter (April), Midsummer (July) and Michaelmas (October) since 1361 and until the 1700s the records of these sessions were written in Latin. Few of the very early records survive and most of those we have date from 16th or 17th century.
From 1888 elected County Councils took over the administrative duties of the courts, with Quarter Sessions retaining their judicial and licensing powers. The Quarter Sessions continued as criminal courts until 1971 when the County Court judicial system was implemented.
PETTY SESSIONS
Petty Sessions were the lowest tier in the English court system, now known as magistrates' courts, it was where most crime was dealt with.
From the 16th century onwards Petty Sessions were held for specific areas or divisions of a county, and separately in boroughs. Petty Sessions archives typically relate to criminal cases heard by the magistrates or Justices of the Peace for each division or borough. They may also include documents such as plans relating to the licensing of public houses, clubs and other bodies.
JUDICIAL RECORDS
In addition to thieves and other lawbreakers appearing to plead their case for wrongdoings, vagrants, incorrigible rogues, vagabonds, beggar and itinerant performers such as jugglers, minstrels, fortune tellers, card sharps and tricksters could find themselves in court if they couldn't provide for themselves and their families.
The records are filled with often colourful and fantastic tales designed to win over a Justice. Those who failed in this mission could be given punishments ranging from whipping in a public place on market day to gaol sentences or transportation. Those trying to claim relief from parish funds in an area where they had no right of settlement could be given 3 months in the House of Correction before being returned by a parish constable to their place of settlement.
Judicial records include:
- Prison records showing the life and treatment of prisoners and prison staff.
- Prisoners lists (these may indicate when a trial was held, so narrowing the search for a record of the hearing)
- Transportation documents. Some convicts were sent to Virginia in the 18th Century and Australia and Tasmania later. During the Commonwealth period others were sent to the West Indies.
- Discharge papers, with a picture of the criminal
- Jurors’ lists
- Indictment files giving name, date and details of the offence and any previous
convictions. The names of those suffering the wrongdoing will also be included.
- Indexed calendars of prisoners giving their names, ages, charges, trial events, level of literacy and details of convictions, verdicts and sentences. Also information on court officials
- Order books giving the names of people charged and information on their offence, verdict and sentence
- References to the work and expenses of parish constables
OCCUPATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT records generated by the courts include:
- Licences and registers of keepers of inns and alehouses, also drovers and other itinerant traders
- Wage regulation documentation
- Registration of boats, barges and other vessels used on navigable rivers
- Apprenticeship agreements and any disputes arising.
- Poor Law issues including maintenance and settlement cases. See also: POOR LAW
- Maintenance orders compelling richer people to support their poorer relatives
- Taxation
- Bankruptcy hearings
- Land tax assessments and the compilation of lists of properties and occupiers of land
- Rate assessments with lists of ratepayers, and the issuing of rate qualifications
OTHER QUARTER SESSION RECORDS include:
- Registers of Roman Catholics (then known as ‘papists’) and other so called 'subversives' or foreign people such as Jesuits, Jews and the French, including the registration of Roman Catholic deeds, wills and conveyances.
- Registers of non conformist meeting houses (1689 onwards) and of friendly societies (18th century onwards)
- Annual returns of members of Freemasons' Lodges
- Coroners reports giving information on untimely or questionable deaths
Not all of these records will exist or necessarily survive for the area you are researching. On the other hand you may come across the occasional Gamekeepers' Deputation Game Certificate, Hair Powder Tax Certificate or a Woolwinders' Oath.
WHERE TO FIND QUARTER SESSION RECORDS
There may be closure notices on more recent quarter and petty session records
The following records can usually be found in Local authority archive services.
Quarter Sessions (local criminal and civil courts to 1972, crown courts, criminal, from 1972
County Courts
County constabulary
Gaol calendars and registers of local prisoners
Coroner's pleadings
Other court records are held at The National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU Tel: 020-8876 3444. Web page www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
