Quarter Sessions records

A guide to Quarter Sessions records at Durham Record Office from 1596 to 1971.

Introduction

Quarter Sessions were established in County Durham in 1345 and the earliest surviving records are from 1471. In 1536 the authority for appointing Justices of the Peace moved from the palatinate to the crown. We hold records from 1596 to 1971. Many Quarter Sessions functions were moved to the County Council in 1889. In 1972 the Court of Quarter Sessions amalgamated with the Assizes to become the Crown Court.

Quarter Sessions had both a judicial and an administrative function, and this is reflected in the arrangement of the records followed below. A detailed list of the records will be found if you search the catalogue.

Records of the Justices of the Peace

This section contains records kept by the Clerk of the Peace relative to the appointment and ‘swearing in’ of the Justices of the Peace and administration of the Sessions. The records described are followed by covering dates and the catalogue reference (beginning Q/).

Commissions of the Peace: 1863-1878, 1975 (reference Q/JK/C 1-5)

Oaths sworn before assumption of office by Justices and other officers: 1828-1971 (reference Q/J/O 1-39)

Attendance books: 1898-1971 (reference Q/J/A 1-5)

List of magistrates and other officers: 1880-1971 (reference Q/J/L 1-13)

Records relating to the appointment of officers of the court and its organisation: 1939-1953, 1965-1971 (reference Q/J/S 1-7)

Grant of Quarter Sessions for the Borough of Sunderland: 1907 (reference Q/J/X 1).

Sessions process records

This section contains the records of the Justices of the Peace assembled in Quarter Sessions as a court of justice, and includes all the records concerning the prosecution of criminals. The order books include all decisions, both judicial and administrative, of the court.

Indictments: 1596-1613, 1615-1618, 1622, 1624-1629, 1629-1630, 1631-1632, 1634-1636, 1661-1662, 1664-1665, 1668-1669, 1670-1681, 1683-1694, 1696-1699, 1704-1705, 1711-1714, 1718-1719, 1721, 1724-1725, 1728, 1729, 1734, 1736, 1742, 1743, 1747, 1750-1751, 1752, 1754, 1756, 1780, 1808, 1812, 1823, 1840-1917, 1919-1968 (reference Q/S/I 1-347).

See microfilms M7/34-37 for indictment rolls from 1596 to 1823.

See also ‘Durham Quarter Sessions Rolls 1471-1625’ by C.M. Fraser, Surtees Society Vol 199, 1991, for a transcription of Q/S/I 1-8)

Indexes to indictments: 1880-1926 (reference Q/S/I (Ind) 1-2)

Precepts for the summoning of jurors: 1963-1971 (reference Q/S/JS 1-3)

Order books: 1616-1644, 1649-1656, 1660-1682, 1686-1971 (see microfilms M7/1-20) (reference Q/S/OB 1-44)

Rough order books: 1735-1736, 1738-1746, 1750-1756, 1774-1880 (for 1735-1854 see microfilms M7/39-45) (reference Q/S/OM 1-38)

Abstracts of orders and orders of court: 1823-1899 (for 1823-1883 see microfilm M7/38) (reference Q/S/OA 1-9)

Process books: 1619-1636, 1735-1752, 1764-1778 (see microfilm M7/38) (reference Q/S/OP 1-3)

Sessions court books. First Court: 1880-1963; Second Court: 1880-1963; Third Court: 1950-1963; Fourth Court: 1959-1962 (reference Q/S/OC 1-15)

Calendars of prisoners: 1867-1966

Assize calendars of prisoners: 1880-1909 (see also Calendars of prisoners below) (reference Q/S/C 1-22)

Recognizances: 1855, 1875-1949 (reference Q/S/R 1-4)

Case papers: 1918, 1954-1971 (reference Q/D)

Sentence Papers: 1970-1971 (reference Q/S/DS)

Petitions and miscellaneous papers: 1746-1905 (reference Q/S/P 1-48)

Appeals: 1852-1971 (reference Q/S/A 1-26)

Estreats of fines: 1865-1880, 1956-1971 (reference Q/S/E 1-8)

War Zone Court: 1940 (reference Q/S/WZ 1, 2)

Summary jurisdiction: 1879-1944, 1956-1966 (reference Q/S/SJ 1-4)

Juvenile offenders: 1885-1897, 1903, 1911 (reference Q/S/Y 1, 2)

Chairman’s notebooks: 1962-1968

Defence certificates: 1930-1951 (reference Q/S/X 1, 2).

Records of the administration of the court

This section contains the records which reflect the work of Quarter Sessions in the administration of the county. It includes the records of officers of the court and of committees established to oversee various administrative functions of Quarter Sessions. Before the 19th century the order books contain most of the records of the administration of the county.

County Treasurer’s accounts: 1734-1796, 1811-1889;

Rate for Gaol: 1890-1816, 1818-1820 (reference Q/F 1-11)

Militia Family Relief Payments, 1807-1811 (see microfilm M7/38) (reference Q/FM 1-16)

Minutes of Finance Committee: 1867-1889

Highways and New Bridges Committee: 1878-1888

Licensing Committee: 1872-1938

Miscellaneous committees: 1880-1889

Rate Committee: 1866-1921

Executive Committee: 1878-1889

Industrial School Committee: 1885-1891 (reference Q/A/C 1-20)

Plan of gaol, police stations and courts: 1849-1926 (reference Q/A/P 1-144)

Verification of weights and measures: 1825-1931 (reference Q/A/W 1-24)

Records of the Clerk of the Peace

This section contains the returns of the work of the Clerk of the Peace’s own office.

Clerk of the Peace’s accounts: 1839-1849, 1856-1874 (reference Q/C/A 1-4)

Clerk of the Peace’s correspondence: 1872-1875, 1877-1881, 1885-1893, 1903 (reference Q/C/C 1-10)

Fees and salaries and orders: 1863-1948 (reference Q/C/O 1-41)

The Clerk of the Peace’s office and report on state of the records: 1839-1843, 1867-1916 (reference Q/C/R 1-3)

Miscellaneous agreements: 1883-1897, 1909, c.1920, 1948-1967 (reference Q/C/X 1-6).

Enrolment of Justices’ records

This section contains records arising from the Justices’ own work, which were required by statute to be enrolled with the records of Quarter Sessions. This was especially so of functions not undertaken by the full court, such as highway diversions, which could be authorised by two Justices.

Highway Inquisitions Ad Quod Damnum: c.1697-1765, 1770 (reference Q/R/HD/Q 1-2)

Highway Diversion Orders: 1777, 1803, 1817-1971 (reference Q/R/HD 1-889)

Highways certificates of repair: 1872-1902;

Highway loans, 1888 (reference Q/R/HO 1-11)

Jurors’ records: 1766, 1796, 1908 (reference Q/RJ 1-3)

Victuallers’ recognizances: 1716-1718,

Returns of ale house keepers: 1783-1786, 1804 (reference Q/R/LV 1-5)

Gamekeepers’ deputations: 1802-1807, 1825-1883 (reference Q/R/LG 1-4)

Warrants for appointment of Sheriffs and other officers: 1866-1919

Property declarations by Deputy Lieutenants: 1869-1882 (reference Q/R/O 1-2)

Rules of literary societies and libraries exempt from rates: 1863-1904 (reference Q/R/S 1-13)

Certificates of Roman Catholic chapels and priests: 1791-1854

Returns of non-conformist meeting-houses: 1829 (see microfilm M7/39) (reference Q/R/RM 1-14)

Enrolment of rates of wages: 1672, 1674, 1676-1679 (reference Q/R/W 1-6).

Deposit and registration

This section contains records of other bodies which were required to be deposited with Quarter Sessions for the information of the inhabitants of the County.

Enrolment books: 1763-1957 (reference Q/D/B 1-7)

Enclosure awards: 1757-1870 (reference Q/D/E 1-43)

Judgements on Lanchester Common compensation: 1881-1903 (reference Q/D/EC 1-12)

Land tax assessments: 1759-1831 (see microfilms M7/20-33) (reference Q/D/L 1-162)

Some land tax assessment records are held at the University of Durham, Archives and Special Collections, Palace Green Library

Annuities and rent-charges: 1763-1792, 1828-1845 (reference Q/D/LA 1-2)

Redemption of land tax: 1798-1813 (reference Q/D/LR 1-3)

List of Commissioners of land tax: 1780-1781 (reference Q/D/LX 1-4)

Inhabited house tax: 1796

Returns of farmers near the sea coast: 1796 (see microfilm M7/39) (reference Q/D/LM 1-51)

Registers of electors: 1833-1892 (for later registers see User Guide 6) (reference Q/D/PV 1-137)

Petition for more polling places: 1864-1867 (reference Q/D/PP 1-11)

Rules of savings banks, building societies, friendly and provident societies: 1794-1874;

Freemasons’ Lodges’ annual returns: 1916-1946 (reference Q/D/S 1-87)

Enrolment of rules of friendly societies: 1785-1874 (reference Q/D/SB 1, 2)

Plans of public utilities: 1796-1973 (reference Q/D/P 1-609)

Verdicts of juries on compensation: 1837-1879 (reference Q/D/US 1-5)

Accounts of turnpike trusts: 1865-1879

Company accounts: 1866-1922

Improvement Commissioners’ accounts: 1879-1879

Charitable trusts’ accounts: 1864-1880 (reference Q/D/US 1-180)

Calendars of prisoners

This section lists all calendars of prisoners held by the Record Office. These detail the prisoners brought before the court at each session, including charges and outcome. The Index volumes are in the search room library.

Prisoners tried at Quarter Sessions:

Jan 1830 D/X 1674/1
1857-1858 (reference CCP 9/1) indexed in volume I 16
1861-1871 (reference CCP 9/2-11) indexed in volume I 10
1871-1881 (reference CCP 9/12-21) indexed in volume I 16
1867-1909 (reference Q/S/C 1-4) indexed in volume I 11
1910-1944 (reference Q/S/C 6-13) indexed in volume I 11
1945-1966 (reference Q/S/C 14-18) indexed in volume I 15

Prisoners tried at Assizes:

Aug 1780 (reference D/X 852/1)
Mar 1836 (reference D/CL 6/48)
1857-1858 (reference CCP 9/1) indexed in volume I 16
1861-1871 (reference CCP 9/2-11) indexed in volume I 10
1871-1881 (reference CCP 9/12-21) indexed in volume I 16
1880-1921 (reference Q/S/C 20-21 and 23) indexed in volume I 16
1931-1955 (reference CCP 13/191-214) each volume includes an index
Feb 1933 (reference D/Wm 15/25).

Both prisoners tried at Quarter Sessions and those tried at Assizes: 1959-1967 (reference P 16/1-9).

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