Guide to the Records of Corporation of London Record Office (as filmed by the AJCP), 1756-1840

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Summary

Collection number:

M580, M1363-M1367

Extent:

17 items

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the London Metropolitan Archives and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.

Items from this collection should include references to the London Metropolitan Archives and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.

Example: Western Australasian Trade Section Minute Book. 22 April 1895- 12 October 1904, London Metropolitan Archives. MS 16512 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-798920226).

Availability:

Available

Background

Content Summary:

The material filmed by the Australian Joint Copying Project includes: index of prisoners, vol. 2 January 1756-December 1792; session minute book December 1783-January 1785; Gaol Delivery, Oyer and Terminer Fair Entry Books vol. 1 -11 covering February 1785-October 1834; Transportation account July 1829-December 1840 detailing record payments for the drawing up of legal papers, transportation bills and Indexes to persons indicted.

Biographical / Historical:

The Sessions House of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of the City of London stood on the street named Old Bailey, next to the medieval Newgate Gaol. The original courthouse was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and was rebuilt in 1674 and again in 1774. From 1674 to 1834 the Old Bailey was the criminal court for both the City of London and the County of Middlesex.

The Old Bailey sessions generally took place eight times a year. The court met at the same time as the sessions of the peace, which were held in the Guildhall. The sessions of the peace dealt with minor offences (misdemeanours), while the Old Bailey sessions dealt with felonies such as murder, burglary, larceny and forgery. The grand jury would assemble at the Guildhall and then move to the Old Bailey when the sessions began. The recorder and the clerical staff of the two courts were identical or very similar. The jurors usually served through the entire session.

Criminal jurisdiction was exercised by virtue of three commissions which were issued regularly: the commission of the peace, the commission of the gaol delivery at Newgate, and the commissions of oyer and terminer for London and Middlesex. The commission of gaol delivery required the justices to try all the prisoners held in Newgate Gaol. The commission of oyer and terminer authorised the justices to hear treason and felony cases. In 1834, following the establishment of the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, the scope of the Gaol Delivery Sessions was widened. It dealt with capital and other serious offences arising in the City of London, Middlesex and parts of Essex, kent and Surrey. Before 1785 the sessions minute books covered both the sessions of the peace and the general sessions of gaol delivery. From 1785 to 1834 there was a separate series of minute books for sessions of gaol delivery and oyer and terminer.

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:: Available for access.
Conditions Governing Use:: Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the London Metropolitan Archives. For more information contact London Metropolitan Archives Enquiry service [https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/visitor-information/Pages/enquiry-service.aspx].