The Quarter Sessions court in Sheffield was a formidable
place for anyone who stepped on the wrong side of the law…
Established in 1880, the court’s initial function was to
hear criminal cases. The court sat every
quarter, usually in January, April, July and October. Following each session a Calendar of
Prisoners was published to record the personal details of people tried at the
session and their offences. Details
included: the name, age and occupation of the defendant; the offence (and
victim’s name); when tried and before whom; verdict; particulars of previous
convictions; and sentence or order of the court. A full set of these survive at Sheffield
Archives dating from 1880 to 1971.
Volunteers from Sheffield and District Family History
Society have indexed the names of defendants and victims (1880 - 1910) from the
early Calendars of Prisoners and some interesting cases have been
revealed. The sheer array of items
stolen - from barrels of crabfish and tame rabbits to steel scrap and opera
glasses - is mind boggling.
The indexes can be searched on our website. Whether you’re looking for one of your
ancestors, or just want to browse the index, you’ll find all aspects of
Sheffield life revealed:
https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/archives-and-local-studies/collections/court-of-quarter-session-records.html
https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/archives-and-local-studies/collections/court-of-quarter-session-records.html
Our thanks go to Sheffield and District Family History Society for opening up this fascinating window on Victorian and Edwardian Sheffield.
