Petty Sessions

The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available. Please feel free to add or update with any additional information.

Petty Sessions usually dealt with minor criminal and civil offences, domestic disputes such as maintenance and adoption, and also provided an official administration of registration duties such as alehouse licensing etc. The general types of records available in Petty Session collections are:

• Minute books: generally minute books of the justices and committees meetings
• Court registers: these are arranged in chronological order of the court sessions and usually include the name of defendant, name of informant or victim, date and nature of the offence, the verdict and penalty
• Juvenile court registers: as above but these registers record cases involving minor defendants
• Registration: generally include registers of alehouse licences, registers of clubs and theatres etc
• Court orders: these are the rulings of the court and mainly apply to domestic issues such as bastardy orders and maintenance orders
• Accounts: including fine and costs books

Justices of the peace in the West Riding were no doubt acting in the petty sessions for some time before their existence is noticed in the records of the quarter sessions in the 1660s. The original petty session divisions were based on the wapentakes, with the most populous being divided into two parts. An Act of 1828 allowed quarter sessions to alter boundaries and make new divisions. In the 1840s and 1850s new divisions were created based on Dewsbury, Keighley, Kirkby Malzeard, Otley, Saddleworth and Wetherby. Todmorden was created in 1883.

It is unfortunate that very few of the petty sessions divisions which now lie within West Yorkshire have records which survive prior to the twentieth century, and the earliest known register (that of Lower Agbrigg division) dates from 1839.

Below is a list of Petty Session and Magistrate Court records available at WYAS. Please note the covering dates provided under content are intended as a rough guide; there may be gaps in a series where records do not survive. As with all court records, documents which include private or personal information may be subject to access conditions and researchers wishing to view material less than 100 years old are advised to contact the relevant office in advance of their visit. For more information on the content of these collections follow the link by the catalogue reference:

Ref	Division	Dates	Contents	Repository
P1	East Morley Division	1827-1960	Ceased as a petty sessional division in 1955 under an Act of the same year. Includes minute books 1924-1958, court registers 1943-1955, juvenile court registers 1942-1955, registration 1897-1960, court orders (re maintenance) 1890-1955, accounts 1911-1955, and miscellanea 1827-c1940	WYAS: Wakefield
P2	Keighley Division: Court at Bingley	1844-1974	Established as a separate Division under an Act of 1935. Includes minute books 1868-1971, various Chairman's minutes 1884-1928, court registers 1847-1973, juvenile court registers 1948-1974, registration 1872-1965, court orders 1844-1972, accounts 1908-1975, and miscellanea 1908-1964. See Keighley Magistrates' Court P29 for records after 1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P3	Keighley Division	1845-1955	Includes registration records 1848-1955 and accounts 1845-1947 (some of which also relate to the court at Bingley). See Keighley Magistrates' Court P29 for records after 1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P4	Keighley Borough Magitsrates' Court	1935-1974	Includes court registers 1935-1974, and juvenile court registers 1944-1974. See Keighley Magistrates' Court P29 for records after 1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P5	Otley Division	1905-1974	Established as a separate petty sessional division in 1853. Includes court registers 1905-1972, juvenile registers 1933-1974, registration 1927-1971, court orders 1932-1975, accounts 1936-1974, and miscellanea 1907-1965	WYAS: Wakefield
P6	Pudsey Borough Division	1951-1974	Borough court to 1955, thereafter Pudsey Borough Division until 1974. Includes court registers 1951-1967, juvenile court register 1970-1974, registration records 1962-1972, accounts 1956-1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P7	Lower Agbrigg Division: Wakefield	1839-1974	Created by an order in 1797 when wapentake of Agbrigg was divided in two. See also Dewsbury Division P18 and Wakefield Magistrates' Court P31 for records after 1974. Includes court registers 1839-1974, juvenile court registers 1933-1974, registration records 1876-1974, court orders 1933-1974, accounts 1878-1974. For records after 1974 see Wakefield Magistrates' Court P31.	WYAS: Wakefield
P8	Wakefield Borough Court	1865-1974	Granted in 1870 and continued as a separate court until 1974. Includes minutes 1871-1973, court registers 1871-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1975, complaint and information books 1870-1973, registration records 1872-1974, court orders 1930-1974, accounts 1874-1966 and miscellanea 1865-1973. For records after 1974 see Wakefield Magistrates' Court P31.	WYAS: Wakefield
P9	Ossett Borough	1894-1974	Borough court to 1955, thereafter Ossett Borough Division until 1974. Includes minutes 1894-1909, court registers 1894-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1974, registration records 1894-1974, court orders 1962-1974, and accounts 1960-1974. For records after 1974 see Wakefield Magistrates' Court P31.	WYAS: Wakefield
P10	Brighouse Borough Division	1898-1973	Borough Court from 1898-1955, thereafter Brighouse Borough Division until 1974 - see Calder: Brighouse Magistrates' Court P27 for post 1974 records. Includes minutes 1898-1940, court registers 1902-1973, juvenile registers 1933-1959, registration records 1903-1973, court orders 1899-1951, and accounts 1948-1959	WYAS: Wakefield
P11	Batley Borough Court	1872-1979	Includes court registers 1873-1974, juvenile registers 1934-1974, registration records 1872-1979, and accounts 1963-1976. For records after 1974 see Dewsbury Magistrates' Court P32	WYAS: Wakefield
P12	Morley Borough Court	1893-1974	Morley received its charter as a municipal borough on 5 January 1886 and was granted a commission of the peace in 1893. Includes minutes 1912-1973, court registers 1912-1974, juvenile registers 1938-1974, registration records c1893-1969, and accounts 1893-1973	WYAS: Wakefield
P13	Skyrack Division	1897-1974	Includes court registers 1923-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1964, and registration records 1897-1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P14	Wetherby Division	1875-1971	Established in 1857. Includes court registers 1925-1965, juvenile registers 1934-1965, and registration records 1875-1971	WYAS: Wakefield
P15	Upper Barkston Ash Division	1904-1955	Abolished 1955. Includes court registers 1921-1955, juvenile registers 1934-1955, and registration records 1904-1955	WYAS: Wakefield
P16	Bradford City Court	1883-1987	Received its charter of incorporation in 1847. Includes minutes 1921-1964, court registers 1885-1987, juvenile registers 1929-1986, other court registers 1883-1986, registration records 1886-1972, court orders 1886-1969, accounts 1936-1977, and West Riding Licensing Authority records 1905-1974. See also Bradford Court Records	WYAS: Wakefield
P17	Dewsbury Borough Court	1914-1974	Dewsbury received its charter of incorporation as a municipal borough on 11 April 1862. Includes minutes 1928-1974, court registers 1930-1973, juvenile registers 1933-1973, registration records c1958-1974, and accounts 1914-1974. See also Dewsbury Division P18. For records after 1974 see Dewsbury Magistrates' Court P32	WYAS: Wakefield
P18	Dewsbury Division	1873-1974	Was constituted in April 1844 from the wapentakes of Agbrigg and Morley; includes Mirfield area. Records include minutes 1926-1973, court registers 1882-1973, juvenile registers 1933-1972, and registration records 1873-1974. For records after 1974 see Dewsbury Magistrates' Court P32	WYAS: Wakefield
P19	Upper Osgoldcross Division: Court at Pontefract	1499-1974	Includes minutes 1910-1972, court registers 1898-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1974, registration records 1896-1974, accounts 1914-1974, and miscellanea 1499-1971. For family and domestic cases see Upper Osgoldcross: Castleford P24. For records after 1974 see Pontefract Magistrates' Court P30.	WYAS: Wakefield
P20	Todmorden Division	1907-1973	Constituted in 1883. Includes court registers 1907-1973, juvenile registers 1933-1965, and registration records 1936-1973	WYAS: Wakefield
P21	Halifax Borough Court	1823-1983	Includes commissions of the peace 1849-1889, minutes 1953-1976, court registers 1919-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1972, registration records 1906-1964, court orders 1968-1983, and miscellanea 1823-c1959. For court registers after 1974 see Halifax Magistrates' Court P26	WYAS: Wakefield
P22	Calder Division	1895-1973	Formerley West Morley Division until 1955. Includes minutes 1931-1962 (retained at Halifax courthouse), court registers 1916-1973, juvenile registers 1934-1971, registration records 1895-1973, and accounts 1952-1955	WYAS: Wakefield
P23	Lower Agbrigg	1837	Records of the special sessions of 6 Sep 1837 to hear claims for the compensation for damage caused by the election riot at Wakefield on 31 July 1837.	WYAS: Wakefield
P24	Upper Osgoldcross: Court at Castleford	1888-1974	Includes minutes 1952-1961, court registers 1899-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1962, summons books 1907-1969, Clerk's court notebooks 1898-1970, court orders 1888-1946, and accounts 1895-1971. For records after 1974 see Pontefract Magistrates' Court P30.	WYAS: Wakefield
P25	Pontefract Borough Court	c1880-1974	Held at WR Court House in addition to Upper Oldcross Division P19. Includes minutes 1934-1972, court registers 1922-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1971, registration records 1905-1974, and accounts c1880-1974. For records after 1974 see Pontefract Magistrates' Court P30	WYAS: Wakefield
P26	Calder: Halifax Magistrates' Court	1974-1989	Court at Prescott Street/ Skirkcoat Road records includes court registers 1974-1983, juvenile registers 1972-1977, and register of music and dancing licenses 1954-1977; Court at Ferguson Street records include court registers 1974-1989, juvenile registers 1973-1989 and domestic cases 1978-1989	WYAS: Wakefield
P27	Calder: Brighouse Magistrates' Court	1974-1990	Includes court registers 1974-1989, juvenile registers 1959-1990, and domestic cases 1974-1983	WYAS: Wakefield
P28	Calder: Todmorden Magistrates' Court	1974-1989	Includes court registers 1974-1989, juvenile registers 1966-1983, and Legal Aid register 1980-1984	WYAS: Wakefield
P29	Keighley Magistrates' Court	1974-1986	Established in 1974 taking over jurisdiction of P2, P3 and P4. Court sessions were held at both Keighley and Bingley. Records include court registers 1974-1986, domestic cases 1975-1986, juvenile registers 1974-1986, Licensing court registers 1975-1983, and enforcement register 1981.	WYAS: Wakefield
P30	Pontefract Magistrates' Court	1974-2003	Established in 1974 taking over the jurisdiction of P19, P24 and P25. Court sessions were held at both Pontefract and Castleford. Pontefract Court records includes court registers 1974-2003, juvenile registers 1974-2002, enforcement/ maintenance registers 1993-2002, community charge/ council tax registers 1990-1998, Legal Aid registers 1974-2000, fines 1986-1999, and miscellaneous items 1972-2002; Castleford Court records include court registers 1993-1995, doemstic cases 1992-1993, family court 1995-1996, enforcement registers 1993-1998, and miscellaneous registers 1994-1996.	WYAS: Wakefield
P31	Wakefield Magistrates' Court	1974-1996	Established in 1974 taking over the jurisdictions of P7, P8 and P9. Includes court registers 1974-1996, juvenile registers 1973-1996, domestic and matrimonial registers 1979-1996, family orders received 1993-1997, community charge registers 1994-1996, fine enforcement registers 1993-1997, and family enforcement registers 1996.	WYAS: Wakefield
P32	Dewsbury Magistrates' Court	1974-1979	Established in 1974 taking over the jurisdictions of P11, P17 and P18. Includes court registers 1974-1979, juvenile registers 1974-1978, fine default registers 1973-1978, and a cash book 1974-1977.	WYAS: Wakefield
P33	Huddersfield Borough Court	1871-1974	Includes minutes 1877-1918, court registers 1871-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1974, fines and payment records 1875-1974, licensing records 1877-1974, registers of commitments 1879-1971, records of offences 1869-1974, and records of the Compensation Authority 1905-1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P34	West Riding Upper Agbrigg Court: Huddersfield	1899-1974	Includes court registers 1896-1974, juvenile registers 1933-1957, fines registers 1957-1973, and records relating to licensing 1879-1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P35	West Riding Upper Agbrigg Court: Holmfirth	1899-1974	Includes court registers 1926-1959, juvenile registers 1934-1961, default fines registers 1957-1967, and licensing records 1899-1974	WYAS: Wakefield
P36	Leeds	1826-1981	Including licensing and other minutes 1826-1904, court registers 1849-1854 and 1909-1981, juvenile court registers 1909-1973	WYAS: Leeds

For information on particular records see:

• Adoption records
• Bastardy orders
• Licensing (Alehouses)

Records of the Tadcaster Petty Sessions Division and Ainsty Eastern Division can now be found at North Yorkshire County Record Office.