England Further Examples of Quarter Sessions Cases - International Institute: Difference between revisions

The records of planning, construction, repairs and provisions for gaols and bridewells name the tradesmen involved and show their bills. Records were also kept of the keepers and other staff. <br>  

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| '''Berkshire Quarter Sessions 1785''' {{FHL|265658|item|disp=Film 0088144}}<br>''Elizabeth Prince, widow of John Prince deceased, late keeper of<br>his Majesties Bridewell at Abingdon ... be appointed to keep the<br>said Bridewell.<br>There were numerous tradesmen named for doing building and repair work on the gaol.<br>{{FHL|265658|item|disp=Film 0088146}} In 1810 Mrs Elizabeth Prince was<br>awarded £10 annually in consideration of the long services of her<br>late husband and herself as keepers of the Bridewell in Abingdon.<br>{{FHL|265658|item|disp=Film 0088147}} In 1815 Elizabeth Prince the former<br>Bridewell keeper of Abingdon having applied for a further<br>allowance, ordered that she be paid £10 per annum in addition to<br>her present allowance. ''<br>

There have been acts of parliament regulating the sale of alcoholic beverages since the 1552 Alehouse Act where recognizances (essentially character references) that the retailer would keep an orderly house had to be made before two justices. Clerks of the peace were ordered to keep an annual register of victuallers’ recognizances in 1619, but this doesn’t seem to have been complied with until the Licensing Act of 1753 made it mandatory. The most detailed registers contain the names of the licensees, the parish, the inn sign, the occupation of the victualler, and the names and occupations of those standing surety. These usually cease in 1828 when the issuing of annual licenses commenced. Court sessions held solely for licensing of victuallers or pubs were called ''brewster sessions''. <br>  

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| '''Notice Regarding Upcoming Special Petty Sessions for Licensing 1832 Liberty of Saint Peter of York''' {{FHL|527519|item|disp=Film 1545354}}<br>'''Notice is Hereby Given'''<br>That his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the Liberty of Saint Peter of York, assembled at the last General Annual Licensing Meeting held in and for the said Liberty, did appoint Five Special Petty Sessions to be holden in and for the said Liberty, at the Sessions-House in the Minster-Yard, in the City of York, and within the said Liberty, at the hour of Twelve at Noon, on the several Saturdays following in the present and the year next ensuing, that is to say - the Twentieth day of October in the present year; and the Fifth day of January, the Fifth day of April, the Fifth day of July, and the Sixth day of September, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, for the purpose of Licensing Persons intending to keep Inns, Alehouses, and Victualling Houses, theretofore kept by other Persons being about to remove therefrom; and granting Licences in the other Cases, in the manner and for the time directed by the Act of Parliament for regulating the granting of Ale Licences.<br>Date the [blank] day of October, 1832.<br>[unsigned copy] Constable

'''List of Licensed Victuallers 1836'''  

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Details of surviving victuallers’ licences and other records by county are given by Gibson and Hunter (''Victuallers’ Licences''. Federation of Family History Societies, 1997). In one incomplete series I examined for Abingdon, Berkshire Henry Prince renewed his annual licence each autumn in 1803, 1806, 1807, 1810 for the ''Plough'' and 1811 for the ''New Plough''. There are further details about pubs and publicans in the National Institute for Genealogical Studies course English: Occupations Professions and Trades. <br>  

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| 265658&#124;item&#124;disp=Film 0088144]]<br>''Charles Driscoll convicted of obstinately standing mute and refusing to plead to a bill of indictment preferred against him by William Clemers for having in his possession more than 6lbs weight of tea, the duty not having been paid for same. ''<br>

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| '''Essex Quarter Session 1761'' {{FHL|549241|item|disp=Film 1702790}}<br>''9 May 1761 The dwelling house of John South in Steeple Bumpstead is licensed as a Methodist meeting house. ''<br>

A more modern kind of license can be found on film 1703002 containing the Register of Licenses for the sale of petroleum in Maldon, Essex 1891-1895. Among those registered were:  

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| 17 Jan 1891 ''George Harvey'' of Bradwell had a house and<br>premises as a grocer and was licensed to sell and keep on hand 40<br>gallons of petroleum.<br>15 Sep 1899 ''Florence Rose Ann Martin'' of Bush Cottage, The Downs was engaged in boat building and was licensed to keep 20 gallons in metal vessels. <br>

An Act of Parliament in 1703 for raising ''recruits for the land forces and marines'' required that their names be recorded at the quarter sessions. There are lists of militia, volunteers and navy recruits in Quarter Sessions. A useful source for men who suddenly fall off the edge of your family history map. Adrian Webb (''Was Your Ancestor Recruited in Somerset?'' Family Tree Magazine Vol 18 #7, page 54) has described the early system with examples from Somerset, and Gibson and Medlycott (''Militia Lists and Musters 1757-1876:'' ''A Directory of Holdings in the British Isles''. Federation of Family History Societies.) have provided a county-by-county directory of militia lists (of eligible men) and muster rolls (of those who served).  

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| '''Petty Sessions for the hundreds of Blackheath and Little and Lessness, Kent 16 March 1792 [Highley]'''<br>''Volunteers for the parish of Greenwich enrolled in the Navy for the French Wars 8 April 1795.'' <br>

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A great variety of complaints were brought before petty, borough and quarter sessions, with some examples following:  

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| '''Lamberhurst, Kent''' parishioners sent a petition to the Quarter<br>Session in 1595 regarding ''the diverse and sundrie mydemeanures<br>of Thomas Harrys, Vycar'' and asking the justices of the peace to<br>''give order to binde him to his better behaviour''. The details of what<br>was going on in this parish are enlightening! (Moon). <br>

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| '''Kingston, Surrey Quarter Sessions 1780 [Film 0991847]'''<br>John Orringe of Reigate made complaint to the justices on 15 Feb<br>1780 that John Wright esquire of Reigate had refused to pay his<br>wages totally £8. On 14 Mar 1780 Joseph Whately the JP issued a<br>note demanding that John Wright pay John Orrringe’s wages. <br>

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| '''Faversham Borough Sessions undated''' {{FHL|323607|item|disp=Film 1851039}}<br>The Overseer of the parish of Faversham presents to the Court of<br>Sessions the following complaints, praying that the Court will<br>inflict punishment on the offenders as they may think expedient.<br>

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| '''Hannah Warren''' for having had four bastard children and<br>bringing them all a charge upon the parish.<br>'''Mary Smith''' for the like offence three children.<br>'''Mary Moore''' for like offence, one child - and for misconduct<br>in the Poor House and general insolence and violent behaviour to the<br>Master and Mistress of the Workhouse.<br>'''Lucy Chambers''' for breaking out of the Bridewell of the Poor<br>House where she was confined, and refusing to work or assist in<br>any of the Duties of the House. <br>

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| '''Berkshire Quarter Sessions 1790''' {{FHL|265658|item|disp=Film 0088144}}<br>''The King and Aaron Mearing, for administering a potion to cause an<br>abortion. He was sent to the pillory and then solitary confinement. ''<br>

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| '''East Sussex Quarter Sessions 1842''' {{FHL|685400|item|disp=Film 1657819}}<br>''17 Sep 1842. Henry Dertnall of Keymer, labourer, conviction of<br>trespassing on a railway was filed at this session. ''<br>

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| '''Frant, Sussex Magistrates Warrant 1815''' {{FHL|497141|item|disp=Film 364155}}<br>''Warrant to the constable of the hundred of Rotherfield and to the<br>churchwardens and overseers of Frant and also to the<br>churchwardens and overseers of Wadhurst to apprehend Edward<br>Batnup of Wadhurst, who frequently goeth at large in Frant<br>disordered by Lunacy and dangerous, and to keep him locked up in<br>the Poor House of Wadhurst so long as such lunacy shall continue<br>and no longer. ''<br>

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| '''East Sussex Quarter Sessions 1842''' {{FHL|685400|item|disp=Film 1657819}}<br>''4 Jul 1844 Conviction filed for William Augustus Dashwood<br>for being an idle and disorderly person.''<br>

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| '''Middlesex Quarter Sessions 1617 [from Le Hardy 1941]'''<br>''Recognizances to keep the peace:<br>John Mutley of Wapping shipwright and Hugh Robson of the same<br>lighterman, for Agnes wife of Condy Archer towards Margaret<br>Lord.<br>Roger Johnson of Rosemary Lane inkseller and Henry Wemb of the<br>same blacksmith, for Henry Saile of the same labourer towards<br>John Lee and his wife. ''<br>

You’ll never know what your ancestors got up to, or were faced with, until you search the sessions records! Most cases seem to be for leaving dunghills or otherwise obstructing the roads but there are plenty of other nuisances too.  

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| '''Berkshire Quarter Sessions 1788''' {{FHL|265658|item|disp=Film 0088144}}<br>''John Hobbs in keeping a dog of a very fierce and furious nature to<br>the great danger of the public.''<br>

Information in this Wiki page is excerpted from the online course [http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/courses.asp?courseID=219 English: Court Records-Criminal, Civil and Ecclesiastical] offered by [http://www.genealogicalstudies.com The National Institute for Genealogical Studies]. To learn more about this course or other courses available from the Institute, see our website. We can be contacted at [mailto:wiki@genealogicalstudies.com wiki@genealogicalstudies.com]