Quarter Sessions
Reference: Q/F Catalogue Title: Quarter Sessions Area: Catalogue Category: Public Records Description:
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- Quarter Sessions
Catalogue Description
ADMINISTRATION OF THE COURTCommittees and officers of the court did not keep separate records except a few minute books in the late nineteenth century (Q/A/C 1-18) and the County Treasurer's account books from 1734 onwards (Q/F/1-11)
Reports from committees and officers were usually entered in full in the order books as follows:
Report on county bridges, c.1690;
County Rates Committee from 1810;
Standing Finance Committee from 1876;
Occasional committees for bridges, 17th century onwards;
Surveyor (with general responsibility for bridges) reports, early 18th century, with regular reports, 1820 onwards;
Highways and Bridges Committee, 1878 onwards;
Prison Governors', Chaplains' and Medical Officers' reports, 1825 onwards;
Visiting Justices' reports, 1825;
Orders relating to gaol and house of correction, from seventeenth century;
Occasional special committees' reports sometimes recorded: committees for new gaol, 1809 - 1820; prisoners' labour and provision of corn mill with tread wheel 1821; prison rules, 1820; cost of transporting prisoners, 1820;
Chief Constables' reports, 1840 onwards;
Inspectors of Weights and Measures referred to in Chief Constables' reports;
Police Station House Committee, 1845;
Committee for County Pauper Lunatic Asylum, 1853;
Visiting Justices' Reports on Lunatic Asylum, 1857 onwards;
County Rate Basis Committee, 1852 onwards;
Contagious Diseases of Animals Committee, 1870;
Militia Storehouses Committee, reports and accounts, 1871 onwards;
Adulteration of Food and Drugs Committee, 1873;
Public Analysts' reports, 1873;
Tees Salmon Fishery, 1873, and Tyne Conservators Committee, 1873;
Industrial Schools Committee, 1875;
Discharged Prisoners' Aid Association Committee, 1875;
Special committees on tramways, applications for licences and reports, occasional from 1873.
In 1877 responsibility for prisons was transferred to the Home Office. No administrative matters are dealt with after 1889
COUNTY TREASURER
Catalogue Contents
(Ref: Q/F/1-3)
Account Books, 1734 - 1880
General accounts recording details of rates received, payments made and the names of justices ordering or allowing the payment. For the nineteenth century there are only printed abstracts of accounts which are fairly detailed and classified according to subject.
Account book, December 1734 - February 1761
(1 volume, leather bound)
Ref: Q/F/2Account book, October 1777 - March 1784
(1 volume, leather bound)
Ref: Q/F/3Account book, January 1788 - May 1796
(1 volume, leather half bound)
Abstracts of Accounts (Ref: Q/F/4-M/1-46)Ref: Q/F/4Abstracts of accounts, January 1811 - 1814, 1821 - December 1844
[Name index 1822-1852: Index volume 723 in microfilm room]
(1 volume, leather half bound)
Ref: Q/F/5Abstracts of accounts, January 1845 - December 1852
[Name index: Index volume 723]
(1 volume, printed, leather half bound)
Ref: Q/F/6Abstracts of accounts, January 1845 - December 1849 and January 1851 - December 1852
(1 volume, printed, leather half bound)
Ref: Q/F/7Abstracts of accounts, January 1853 - September 1864
(1 volume, printed, leather half bound)
Ref: Q/F/8Abstracts of accounts, October 1865 - September 1880
(1 volume, printed, 1 leather half bound)
Ref: Q/F/9Orders for payment, June 1871 - March 1889
Accounts of orders made for payment by Finance Committee
(1 volume, leather quarter bound)
Ref: Q/F/10Special County Rate for Gaol, 1809
[Returns made under act of 1809 which authorised levying of rates to build new county gaol for Durham. They record owners and occupiers of property rated, assessments and total sum due from each parish.]
Orders for purchasing property for site of goal and for levying rates, July 1809 - April 1816
(1 volume, leather half bound)
Ref: Q/F/11Rate for new gaol, March 1818 - April 1820
Assessments and receipts received from each parish
(1 volume, leather half bound)
Ref: Q/F/M/1-46Militia Family Relief Payments, 1807 - 1811
Under the Militia Acts a stated number of men had to be raised by each county, divided amongst parishes which chose men by ballot. Usually the man balloted for service found a substitute, generally from another district, to serve in his place. Poor relief for the family of a man actually serving was the responsibility of the parish for which he served, as substitute, not the parish where he lived or was settled. County treasurers acted as intermediaries for payments claimed by and from other counties although the money was not part of the county funds and was reclaimed from the overseers of the poor of the parishes who owed it.
Papers include printed forms of account of cash paid by overseers, recording names of substitutes (i.e. men actually serving), the names of the balloted men in whose place they served, wives' names, numbers of children, amounts paid, for what place they served, date enlisted, sometimes which regiment, etc. A receipt for payment signed by the overseer is usually attached. The majority relate to Sunderland and Wearmouth, but also include Bishop Auckland, Durham City, Gateshead, Sedgefield, South Shields, Winlaton.
(46 bundles, papers and files)
