Criminal court cases: Middlesex Sessions up to 1889

1. About this guide

This guide will help you find the records of criminal cases heard at the Middlesex Quarter Sessions. Quarter Sessions, like courts of Assize elsewhere in the country, dealt with more serious cases than those heard in magistrates courts.

See Criminal Court Cases: an overview for an introduction to our criminal court records.

2. The Court System

There were four different types of sessions in Middlesex for criminal cases:

• Sessions of the Peace for Middlesex - Met eight times a year in Clerkenwell to hear and determine more serious misdemeanours (petty offences) and some felonies (serious offences).
• Sessions of Oyer and Terminer for Middlesex - Held on the same day as the Sessions of the Peace (or the immediate following days) to hear and determine more serious offences.
• Sessions of Gaol Delivery for Newgate Prison for Middlesex - These trials were held at the Old Bailey a few days after the sessions of the peace and oyer and terminer to hear and determine the most serious cases. After 1834 the Old Bailey became the Central Criminal Court and records are held at The National Archives.
• Sessions of the Peace for the City and Liberty of Westminster - Held quarterly from 1618 to 1844 to hear and determine misdemeanours and some felonies in Westminster

3. Online Sources

Before you delve into the original records, please gather as much information as possible from the following online resources. It is particularly important to get the date and place of the trial.

• Old Bailey Proceedings Online: The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913
• London Lives: Crime, Poverty and Social Policy in the Metropolis, 1690-1800
• The Digital Panopticon: Tracing London Convicts in Britain and Australia, 1780-1925
• The British Newspaper Archive (charges apply)
• Newgate Calendar of Prisoners, 1785-1853 on Ancestry.co.uk (charges apply)
• Criminal Registers 1791-1892 on Ancestry.co.uk (charges apply)
• Middlesex, England, Convict Transportation Contracts, 1682-1787 on Ancestry.co.uk (charges apply)
• Australian Convict Collection on Ancestry.co.uk (charges apply)
• Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935 on Findmypast.co.uk (charges apply)

4. How to search the records held at The London Archives

Once you know the date and place of the trial, you can then look at the following key records:

• Calendars
• Sessions rolls
• Sessions papers
• Sessions books

4.1. Calendars

Calendars are like an index. There are three main types:

• Calendars of indictments which is an index of those people standing trial
• Calendars of examinations which is an index of the statements of those on trial
• Calendars of recognizances which is an index of those bound over to do something such as to bring a prosecution or to keep the peace

Start with the calendars of indictments which are arranged in chronological order by date of session and then alphabetically by surname. If you find an entry, make a note of the number after the name (if there is one) as this will correspond with the number of the indictment on the session roll.

Use the tables below to find the correct reference codes:

4.2. Sessions Rolls

The Sessions Rolls consist of official documents from each session including indictments and recognizances. Before 1752 the documents were written in Latin except for a brief period during the 1650s.

The documents were filed in the order that the cases were heard. In the top right-hand corner of each document will be a number which should correspond with the number from the calendar (see section 4.1.).

Indictments are the formal record of the charge and sentence, but they provide very little other detail. They show the name of the person, their profession, which for men, is often simply recorded as labourer, and the parish that they were from, although this is often not where they were born or where they were living, but the location of the parish where the crime was committed. Annotated on the document, usually near the top, is the original sentence passed by the court. In the early days of transportation, you may find that the initial sentence was death, which was later commuted to transportation. Unfortunately for those given a prison sentence, the location of where that sentence was served, is not recorded.

Use the table below to find the correct reference codes:

4.3 Sessions Papers

Sessions papers are an assortment of documents relating to the general business of the court and often contain the most detailed information on criminal cases. Documents can include bail pieces, affidavits, appeals and most importantly informations and examinations.

Informations and examinations are particularly useful as they often give the fullest account of the crime. They are usually in the form of a single document containing statements, potentially from the victim, witnesses, the arresting officer, as well as a brief statement from the defendant.

In order to find relevant papers, please start by searching the catalogue by the name of person(s) involved. If you are unable to find an entry, it may be because that particular year has not been fully indexed. In that case, you will need to order the bundle for the appropriate month(s) and year. It should be noted that documents relating to an individual case may be spread across the papers of a few sessions.

Many sessions papers from 1690 to 1800 are available to view on the London Lives website.

Use the table below to find the correct reference codes:

4.4. Sessions Books

Sessions books can be useful if the sessions roll or calendar has not survived or is in too poor a condition to be produced. The sessions books contain a summary of the trials that took place for any given session. Whilst there won’t be any extra information contained about a case, they will still provide you with the basic indictment as well as the verdict of the court.

Use the table below to find the correct reference codes: