Wales Court Records: Difference between revisions

Court records relate to civil and criminal matters. They may refer to a local or rural area or to the nation. They involve people from all walks of life.  

A more detailed discussion of these records is in:  

A list of available records is:  

=== Court of Great Sessions  ===

Great sessions courts were used only in Wales. They were established when England and Wales were united through the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1543 and were abolished in the 1830s. Wales was divided into four circuits. Court was held twice a year, usually dealing with the more serious criminal cases. Judges also arbitrated between local landlords and in inter-jurisdictional disputes. Many middle class and some poor people are mentioned here. For more information, see:  

Since the handwriting on these records may be difficult to read, it may help you to see a transcribed, printed copy of some of the documents. The following book is a good example. The introduction is also helpful in understanding the records.  

You can find the original copies of the Great Session records at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. Some copies are on film at the Family History Library.  

Records of these courts give information about the day-to-day life on a manor (an estate held by a landlord), including petty crimes, land transfers, manorial appointments, customs, rental fees, and so forth. It regulated the responsibilities and interrelationship of the manorial lord, his steward and bailiff (law officer), and the village people. Manorial court records began about 1066 and ended in the early 1900s. Some of Wales was not under manorial tenure. More detail is given in:  

''Guide to the Department of Manuscripts and Records''. Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, 1994. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&callno=942.9+A3g book 942.9 A3g].)  

A helpful guide about these records is:  

Chancery Court records are housed in the National Archives near London. Some chancery cases have been indexed. The best index to start with is available on the National Archives web site. Search the [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp '''Catalogue'''] for the surname and put the letter C in the "Department or Series Code" box. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of some records.  

Court records available in the Family History Library are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:  

=== External Links  ===

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[[Category:Wales]]