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Assize Court Records: Difference between revisions
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The '''Courts of Assize''', or '''Assizes''', were periodic criminal courts held around [[England and Wales]] until 1972, when together with the [[England Quarter Session Records|Quarter Sessions]] they were abolished by the ''Courts Act 1971'' and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The Assizes heard the most serious cases, which were committed to it by the [[England Quarter Session Records|Quarter Sessions]] (local county courts held four times a year), while the more minor offences were dealt with summarily by Justices of the Peace in petty sessions (also known as Magistrates' Courts). | The '''Courts of Assize''', or '''Assizes''', were periodic criminal courts held around [[England and Wales]] until 1972, when together with the [[England Quarter Session Records|Quarter Sessions]] they were abolished by the ''Courts Act 1971'' and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The Assizes heard the most serious cases, which were committed to it by the [[England Quarter Session Records|Quarter Sessions]] (local county courts held four times a year), while the more minor offences were dealt with summarily by Justices of the Peace in petty sessions (also known as Magistrates' Courts). | ||
[[ | [[Image:Old-bailey.jpg|thumb|right]] The word assize refers to the sittings or sessions (Old French ''assises'') of the judges, known as "justices of assize", who were judges of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice who travelled across the seven circuits (formerly, there were six) of England and Wales on commissions of "oyer and terminer", setting up court and summoning juries at the various Assize Towns. | ||
The word assize refers to the sittings or sessions (Old French ''assises'') of the judges, known as "justices of assize", who were judges of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice who travelled across the seven circuits (formerly, there were six) of England and Wales on commissions of "oyer and terminer", setting up court and summoning juries at the various Assize Towns. | |||
===Introduction === | === Introduction === | ||
From the thirteenth century onwards, judges appointed by the king or queen of England were sent (usually in pairs) on circuits to administer both civil and criminal law. Originally their function was in civil litigation, the periodic regulation and examination of the quality, weights, measure and prices of certain products offered for sale, notably ale, bread and cloth. They were to control local justice in criminal cases, since they administered the law more accurately than the local justices, being more susceptible to royal authority than the local justices of the peace sitting in quarter sessions. They were also charged with reporting the political feeling of the area they served. By the fifteenth century, the criminal side dominated the business of the assize sessions. Any case could be heard but (after 1590) the more serious cases were sent to assize, as well as those dealing with the finer points of the law. Criminal transportation sentences to the American colonies, for example, were usually issued by assize courts (or their equivalents in Greater London). In 1971 the assize circuits were abolished and replaced by the Crown Courts. | From the thirteenth century onwards, judges appointed by the king or queen of England were sent (usually in pairs) on circuits to administer both civil and criminal law. Originally their function was in civil litigation, the periodic regulation and examination of the quality, weights, measure and prices of certain products offered for sale, notably ale, bread and cloth. They were to control local justice in criminal cases, since they administered the law more accurately than the local justices, being more susceptible to royal authority than the local justices of the peace sitting in quarter sessions. They were also charged with reporting the political feeling of the area they served. By the fifteenth century, the criminal side dominated the business of the assize sessions. Any case could be heard but (after 1590) the more serious cases were sent to assize, as well as those dealing with the finer points of the law. Criminal transportation sentences to the American colonies, for example, were usually issued by assize courts (or their equivalents in Greater London). In 1971 the assize circuits were abolished and replaced by the Crown Courts. | ||
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Most of the counties of England were covered in six circuits: | Most of the counties of England were covered in six circuits: | ||
#Home | #Home: Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex | ||
#Norfolk | #Norfolk: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Huntingdonshire | ||
#Midland | #Midland: Derbyshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickkshire | ||
#Oxford | #Oxford: Gloucestershire, Herfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire | ||
#North | #North: Cumberland, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Yorkshire | ||
#West | #West: Berkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Oxfordshire | ||
Certain areas had special jurisdiction, serving much the same function as the assizes. These areas were the Palatinate of Chester (primarily Cheshire and Flint counties), the Palatinate of Durham (covering Durham County and certain areas beyond), the Palatinate of Lancashire (covering Lancashire County), and London and Middlesex counties (covered by the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey; also known as the London Sessions and the Middlesex Sessions). Additionally, in Wales during 1542‑1830, the Great Sessions of Wales was an equivalent court. Between 1830‑1971, the Welsh counties were included among the assize circuits. See Leaflet number 26 of the National Archives Information series and Appendix 7 in David Hawkings book ''Criminal Ancestors'' for lists of these circuits. The two vary slightly in their listings. | Certain areas had special jurisdiction, serving much the same function as the assizes. These areas were the Palatinate of Chester (primarily Cheshire and Flint counties), the Palatinate of Durham (covering Durham County and certain areas beyond), the Palatinate of Lancashire (covering Lancashire County), and London and Middlesex counties (covered by the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey; also known as the London Sessions and the Middlesex Sessions). Additionally, in Wales during 1542‑1830, the Great Sessions of Wales was an equivalent court. Between 1830‑1971, the Welsh counties were included among the assize circuits. See Leaflet number 26 of the National Archives Information series and Appendix 7 in David Hawkings book ''Criminal Ancestors'' for lists of these circuits. The two vary slightly in their listings. | ||