Quarter Sessions
Reference: Q/J Catalogue Title: Quarter Sessions Area: Catalogue Category: Public Records Description: Records of the Justices of the Peace
Covering Dates: 1828-1975
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- Quarter Sessions
- Records of the Justices of the Peace (Ref: Q/J )
- Attendance books (Ref: Q/J/A 1-5)
- Commissions of the Peace (Ref: Q/J/C 1-5)
- Oaths (Ref: Q/J/O )
- Declarations in Lieu of Sacrament Test, 1828 - 1868 (Ref: Q/J/O 1-2)
- Oaths of Allegiance, Supremacy and Abjuration, 1838 - 1880 (Ref: Q/J/O 3-18)
- Justices' Oaths of Office and Allegiance, 1838 - 1880 (Ref: Q/J/O/19-39)
- Chairmen and Court of Quarter Sessions (Ref: Q/J/S 1-7)
- Miscellaneous (Ref: Q/J/X 1)
Catalogue Description
This section consists of records kept by the Clerk of the Peace relative to the appointment and 'swearing in' of Justices of the Peace and administration of the Sessions.Catalogue Contents
Records of the Justices of the Peace (Ref: Q/J )Attendance books (Ref: Q/J/A 1-5)
These contain signatures of Justices attending Sessions
Ref: Q/J/A 1Justices' attendance book, 3 January 1898 - 19 October 1925
(1 volume, calf bound)
Ref: Q/J/A 2Justices' attendance book, 27 November 1925 - 8 January 1954
(1 volume, calf bound)
Ref: Q/J/A 3Justices' attendance book, 5 April 1954 - 2 October 1963
(1 volume, calf-bound)
Ref: Q/J/A 4Justices' attendance book, 18 October 1963 - 11 February 1970
(1 volume, calf-bound)
Ref: Q/J/A 5Justices' attendance book, 16 February 1970 - 21 December 1971
(1 volume, calf-bound)
Commissions of the Peace (Ref: Q/J/C 1-5)The Commission appointed the Justices and prescribed their duties
Ref: Q/J/C 1Commission of the Peace for Durham County, 1863
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/C 2Commission of the Peace for Durham City, 1878
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/C 3Commission of the Peace for Jarrow, 1878
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/C 4Commission of the Peace for Durham County, 1878
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/C 5Commission of the Peace for Durham County, 1975
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Oaths (Ref: Q/J/O )Before taking up any office under the Crown those appointed had to take an Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy and other Oaths.
Declarations in Lieu of Sacrament Test, 1828 - 1868 (Ref: Q/J/O 1-2)These were made under an amendation (9 Geo. IV, c.17, 1828) of the provision of the Test Act 1673 (25 Car. II c.2) requiring certain office holders, including J.P.s, clergymen, Sheriffs etc., to certify that they had received the sacrament according to the Church of England. From 1828 they were obliged to sign a declaration that they would not injure the Church of England.
Ref: Q/J/O 1Declarations, 1828 - 1831
(1 parchment file)
Ref: Q/J/O 2Declarations, 1847 - 1868
(1 parchment file)
Oaths of Allegiance, Supremacy and Abjuration, 1838 - 1880 (Ref: Q/J/O 3-18)Names of those taking the oaths. From 1868 only a simplified form of the oath had to be taken under the Promissory Oaths Act (31 and 32 Vic. c.72)
Ref: Q/J/O 3Oaths, 1838 - 1840
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 4Quakers' Declarations of Fidelity, 1840 - 1868 (4 entries)
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 5Oaths, 1840 - 1842
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 6Oaths, 1845 - 1848
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 7Oaths, 1846 - 1847
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 8Oaths, 1849 - 1854
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 9Oaths, 1854 - 1858
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 10Oaths, 1858 - 1863
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 11Oaths, 1863 - 1867
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 12Oaths, 1867 - 1868 (under 31 & 32 Vict. c.72)
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 13Oaths, 1868 - 1870
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 14Oaths, 1870 - 1872
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 15Oaths, 1873 - 1874
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 16Oaths, 1874 - 1875
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 17Oaths, 1876 - 1877
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 18Oaths, 1878 - 1880
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Justices' Oaths of Office and Allegiance, 1838 - 1880 (Ref: Q/J/O/19-39)Signatures of those taking Oaths of Office and Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, taken at the same time. Roman Catholics took an alternative Oath in lieu of that of Supremacy
Ref: Q/J/O 19Justices' oaths, 1838 - 1848
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 20Justices' oaths, 1849 - 1858
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 21Justices' oaths, 1858 - 1868
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 22Justices' oaths, 1868 - 1872
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 23Justices' oaths, 1872 - 1876
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 24Justices' oaths, 1877 - 1880
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 25Roman Catholic Oath instead of Oaths of Allegiance, Supremacy and Abjuration (10 Geo. IV c.7) and Oath of Office, 1841 - 1862
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 26Roman Catholic Oath in Sessions, 1844 - 1855
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O/27 1-35Writs of Dedimus Potestatem, 1852, 1869 - 1872
Writs giving power to those named to administer oaths, with copies of signed oaths attached
(1 bundle of 35 parchment files)
Ref: Q/J/O 28Justices' Qualification Oath, 1847 - 1880
Gives name of Justice and particulars of property qualifying him to be a Justice
(1 file)
Ref: Q/J/O 29Justices' Oaths: Judicial, Allegiance and Qualification, 1880 - 1893
Individual printed oath forms bound into volumes, each of which contains an index of names
(1 volume, calf bound)
Ref: Q/J/O 30Justices' Oaths: Judicial, Allegiance, and Qualification, 1893 - 1901
(1 volume, calf bound)
Ref: Q/J/O 31Justices' Oaths: Judicial, Allegiance and Qualification, 1901 - 1961
(1 volume, calf bound)
Ref: Q/J/O 31aJustices'Oaths: Judicial, Allegiance and Qualification, July 1962 - December 1971
(1 volume, calf bound)
Ref: Q/J/O 32/1-8Ex-Officio Oaths, 1950 - 1953
Oaths of Allegiance and Judicial Oath (see Q/J/03) sworn by ex officio members of Quarter Sessions.
(9 files)
Ref: Q/J/O 33Oath forms (blank), letter from J. Shafto saying that he would not be in Durham for some time, n.d., and bills for fees due to the Clerk of the Peace, 1875 - 1879
(1 bundle)
Ref: Q/J/O 34Borough Justices' Oaths, Durham, 1843 - 1849
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 35Borough Justices' Oaths, Durham, 1854
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 36Borough Justices' Oaths, Gateshead, 1846 - 1847
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 37Borough Justices' Oaths, Hartlepool, 1841 - 1849
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 38Borough Justices' Oaths, Hartlepool, 1850
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Ref: Q/J/O 39Borough Justices' Oaths, Sunderland, 1838 - 1854
(parchment, 1 membrane)
Chairmen and Court of Quarter Sessions (Ref: Q/J/S 1-7)Ref: Q/J/S 1-5Warrants from the Crown Office for Appointment of Chairmen, 1939 - 1953
(5 files)
Ref: Q/J/S 6Scheme for Quarter Sessions, 2 April 1951
Scheme made (under Justices of the Peace Act, 1949) by which Quarter Sessions when sitting as a trial court should comprise the chairman and not more than eight other members chosen from each petty sessional area by rota to be present throughout the period of the sessions
(1 file)
Ref: Q/J/S 7Quarter Sessions Committee signed minutes, 1965 - 1971
As had the former Standing Joint Committee, this committee dealt with appointment of clerks of the peace, chairmen, ushers and other officers of the court and of magistrate members of the county police authority (under Administration of Justice Act, 1964)
(1 file)
Miscellaneous (Ref: Q/J/X 1)Ref: Q/J/X 1Grant of Quarter Sessions for the Borough of Sunderland, 13 June 1907
(parchment, 3 membranes)
