| Description | This sub-fonds relates to records of enrolment, registration, deposit and returns. It consists of records relating to summary jurisdictions, including:
- registers of convictions:
Two volumes giving names of persons convicted, date, offence, and names of Justices. The majority of the offences are against the game laws and having false weights and measures, but they also include offences against the sale of short or false yarn and selling ale without a licence [1781-1816]
- seven separate registers for convictions under the Summary Jurisdiction Act of 1848, the Criminal Justice Act of 1855, and the Juvenile Offenders Act of 1847. The registers of conviction under the Summary Jurisdiction and Criminal Jurisdiction Acts give date of conviction, offence (mostly larceny), sentence and date of filing of conviction. Registers under the Juvenile Offenders Act give date of conviction, name, offence, punishment or sentence, and the date of filing of conviction [1849-1915]
- original returns of summary convictions:
These are incomplete petty sessional division bundles, which include similar details to the registers, but with the addition of signatures of the Justices, and sometimes residence and occupation of the convicted person [1781-1810, 1827-1886] |
| Administrative history | It had been the practice of Justices to file summary convictions and depositions (taken either before one or two Justices) with the Clerk of the Peace. This was made compulsory by the Summary Jurisdiction Act of 1848 (11 & 12 Victoria cap. 43). Under the Juvenile Offenders Act of 1847 (10 & 11 Victoria cap. 82) children not over the age of 14 charged with simple larceny could be summarily convicted before two Justices, and the convictions and depositions were to be transmitted to the Clerk of the Peace who was to make a monthly return to the Home Office. Summary jurisdiction was extended to all cases of simple larceny in 1855 (18 & 19 Victoria cap. 126) and to other related offences by the Summary Jurisdiction Act of 1879 (42 & 43 Victoria cap. 49). Both these Acts contained provisions for filing convictions with the Clerk of the Peace. |