Court records

Records of criminal trials

To find records of a criminal trial you need to know the court that it took place at. This will depend on the time period, type of crime and place that the crime took place.

Quarter sessions

There were separate quarter sessions for Cheshire and Chester. Cheshire’s began in 1536 and Chester’s started in 1506. If you have a date that a case was heard it can be checked in the session books (QJB) and session files (QJF) for Cheshire and in the Sheriffs books (ZSB), quarter session files (ZQSF) and order books (ZQSO) for Chester.  Local newspaper reporting often gives more detail than the official records. For a list of the newspapers we hold please see our newspaper index (PDF, 6.3MB). From January 1972 quarter sessions were replaced by Crown Courts administered by central government.

Minor crimes

Minor crimes such as petty theft and drunk and disorderliness were heard at the Petty Sessions where magistrates also decided whether or not to refer cases to the Quarter Sessions.  The Petty Sessions were first held in the early nineteenth century. They were arranged by divisions covering a given area. These divisions changed over time. To find the Petty Session division for an area see our guide. The Petty Sessions gradually became known as the Magistrates Courts following the abolition of the courts of Quarter Sessions.

Serious crimes

The most serious crimes such as murder, rape, theft and assault were tried at the Assizes that took place twice a year with visiting Judges. The records are held at The National Archives.  From January 1972 Quarter Sessions and Assizes were replaced by Crown Courts administered by central government. The records of the Crown Courts are held by The National Archives. 

Memorandum of conviction

If you require evidence of a court case in which you were involved, in the first instance you should contact the relevant Magistrates Court who will confirm your identity and provide an application form to submit to us. There is a cost for this service which can be found on our charges page.