Court Records

Nottinghamshire Archives holds a large number of records of the various courts held throughout the county.

• The lowest court which dealt with minor crimes or offences was the Petty Sessions.
• The Quarter Sessions was the court above the Petty Sessions, which was presided over by Justices of the Peace and which dealt with more serious matters as well as those referred to from the Petty Sessions. The offences heard at each court changed over time.
• Quarter Sessions were held four times a year, at Christmas (or Epiphany), Easter, Midsummer and Michaelmas (in October). All were held at Nottingham; additionally there was a session held at Christmas and Midsummer in Retford and at Easter and Michaelmas in Newark.
• The Quarter Sessions also had an administrative function and was responsible for, amongst others, the upkeep of bridges and buildings, highways, licensing of victuallers and alehouse keepers.
• Most serious matters were held at the Assizes Court. Records of the Assizes are held at The National Archives.
• In 1888 the administrative role of the Quarter Sessions was replaced by the County Council.
• In 1974 the Petty and Quarter Sessions were replaced by the Magistrates Court. The Assizes was replaced by the Crown Court, the records for which are held either by the court or at The National Archives.

There are also records of other courts, such as the Coroner.

Main groups of documents
Quarter Sessions minute books
Calendars of prisoners
Bastardy returns and orders
Transportation agreements
Deposited plans of public undertakings
Land Tax Returns
Petty Sessions and Magistrates Court registers

How to find the document you want

Main groups of documents include:

Quarter Sessions minute books

Reference: C/QSM
Coverage: 1603 - 1971
Minutes kept by the Clerk of the Peace. They contain details relating to the court in session, such as verdicts, orders, justices present, persons taking oaths, persons fined and calendars of prisoners. They can also record decisions made with regard to administrative and financial matters.

Minute books can include details on the issuing of maintenance orders (largely up to the 1860s). These were orders compelling fathers of illegitimate children to support their child and the mother financially. There is an index of maintenance orders available in the archives search room. See also Bastardy returns and orders.

There are typed transcripts of the minute books for the volumes dated between 1603 and 1642.

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Calendars of prisoners

Reference: C/QSP
Coverage: 1850 - 1971
Lists detailing individuals' names, details of crime, sentence received, and literacy levels of prisoners. These also include some prisoners whose cases were held at the Assizes.

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Bastardy returns and orders

Reference: C/QDV
Coverage: 1833 - 1858
Bastardy Orders were issued to fathers of illegitimate children compelling them to support their child and the mother financially. These date between 1833 and 1838. In the mid-nineteenth century the issuing of these orders was the role of the Petty Sessions, which would compile annual lists of all those to whom orders had been issued. These lists or returns would be sent to the Quarter Sessions, and documents are held between 1844 and 1858.

There is an Index of these returns available in the archives reference library.

Bastardy or maintenance orders can also be found in the Quarter Sessions minutes, dating largely up to the early 1860s.

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Transportation agreements

Reference: C/QAG/3
Coverage: 1723 - 1775
Agreements and bonds made between Nottinghamshire Justices and contractors, for the shipping of felons to colonies.

There is a list of felons mentioned in these agreements in the catalogue of Court documents.

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Deposited plans of public undertakings

Reference: C/QDU
Coverage: 19th century
Plans and accompanying books of reference detailing the proposed routes of the following Public Undertakings: roads; drainage, bridges, boundaries and improvements; railways; tramways, light railways and trolleys; utilities: gas, water and electricity; canals and waterways. The plans were originally designed to be presented to Parliament along with a petition to bring in a bill, in order to give the earliest opportunity for people to object to the proposed route.

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Land Tax Returns

Reference: C/QDE/1
Coverage: 1780 - 1832
Lists of owners and occupiers of land. There are returns for individual parishes throughout Nottinghamshire for varying dates. Later returns are part of the Inland Revenue records.

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Petty Sessions and Magistrates Courts registers

Reference: C/PS
Coverage: late 19th - late 20th centuries
Registers recording hearings before magistrates at Court, and detailing the sentence handed to individuals.

Many magistrates court registers are on restricted access. Contact us for more information

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How to find the document you want

There is a series of catalogues of Court documents in the archives search room, arranged according to subject.

Many of these catalogues are available online on the Access to Archives site.

There are indexes of individuals who were issued maintenance orders or bastardy bonds available in the search room, arranged by person's name.

Land Tax returns are available on microfiche.

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