Quarter Sessions: Enrolment, Registration and Deposit

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This is a backup copy of the West Yorkshire Archive Service's "Off the Record" wiki from 2015. Editing and account creation are disabled.

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 It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date.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.

The lodging of records with the court or its chief officer, the clerk of the peace and the registration of individuals or institutions for certain purposes was required by a variety of statutes and parliamentary standing orders. The most extensive classes of records to be found here are the enclosure and drainage awards, land tax duplicates, electoral registers and deposited plans and documents of public undertakings. Two groups, enclosure awards and enrolled deeds, which in most other counties are to be found exclusively in this section are instead included in the West Riding Registry of Deeds collection.

The main records to be found in this series are enclosure records (ref. QE1), deposited plans (ref. QE20), electoral registers (ref. QE14) and duplicate land tax returns (ref. QE13).


Further information about quarter session enrolment, registration and deposit collections can be found on the WYAS catalogue:


The majority of enclosure awards for the West Riding which were officially enrolled or deposited are to be found amongst the records of the West Riding Registry of Deeds under the provision of a local Act of 1706. As noted below a number of enclosure awards were entered in the enrolment books of the Clerk of the Peace from 1800. The practice of depositing a copy of an enclosure award with the clerk of the peace became obligatory with the General Enclosure Act of 1845. Although this Act merely confirmed a general practice of long-standing, it was not the prevailing custom in the West Riding. Thus of the 59 awards here only 8 were deposited before 1845. There are also 8 plans or awards deposited under local drainage Acts between 1820 and 1879. For further information about enclosure records see Enclosure Maps.


The majority of the content of these books relate to 25 enclosure awards, more detailed information about which can be found on the WYAS catalogue. Other items contained in these volumes include the registration of charities endowments (Book D), the enrollment of deeds conveying surplus land by turnpike trusts (mainly in Book G), and various other deeds relating to the purchase of land for different canals, drainage awards and waterworks acts etc. An index to the enrolment books is available.


These 37 memorials are the originals of those entered into enrolment Book D (see above).


Various deeds relating to turnpike trusts, drainage awards, railway extensions, and enclosure etc.


These are 83 sealed copy orders concerning the formation and management of poor law unions. The Registration Act of 1836 authorised the Commissioners to appoint registrars of births, deaths and marriages for temporary districts pending the formation of poor law unions; there are 45 sealed copy orders of appointments dating from 1837-1849.


Certificates of exemption from service as parish or ward officers issued to divisional commissioners by the Commissioners for Inland Revenue and enrolled under provisions of an Act of 1841.


Notices of local enquiries and copy order for the Local Government Board under the provisions of the Divided Parishes and Poor Law Amendment Act 1876 and Poor Law Act 1879.


The registration of gamekeepers began as the result of an Act of 1710 which allowed manorial lords to appoint one gamekeeper for each manor and register the appointment or 'deputation' with the clerk of the peace. Deputations before 1803 are to be found in the order books (ref. QS10), indexed under the name of the manor for which the deputation was entered. There are two separate registers for the period 1803-1950, indexed by manor. See also QE31 (below).


Copy grants of quarter sessions to Leeds, Doncaster and Pontefract 1836, and Bradford 1877, under the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act 1835.


The Militia Act 1757 required deputy lieutenants and militia officers to file a signed declaration of their property qualification (between £50 and £400 a year, depending on rank). There are declarations from 1757-1869 for deputy lieutenants, and 1809-1812 and 1815 for militia officers. These give name, abode and the location of the qualifying property. See also Militia Lists and Returns (ref. QD1/595-596) and records of the Lord Lientenant (ref. QL).


An Act of 1833 required duplicate warrants of the appointment of the sheriff by the Privy Council, the appointment of the under sheriff by the sheriff, and their oaths on taking office be deposited with the clerk of the peace. The appointment of deputy sheriff was held by the deputy clerk of the peace.


Under the provisions of an Act of 1843 coroners were permitted to appoint deputies provided that a duplicate of the appointment was deposited with the clerk of the peace.




Memoranda and returns of summary convictions returned to quarter sessions are to be found on the session rolls (ref. QS1), but in certain instances memoranda seem to have been kept in a separate series. Most of this series initially appears to relate to fraud and abuse in the woollen industry following an Act of 1777, while later instances are more concerned with offences against weights and measures regulations.


Three Acts in 1839 made provisions for small debts courts or courts of requests for Barkston Ash and Skyrack; the Rotherham district; and the manor of Hatfield. A fourth Act of the same year established a network of small debts courts for five districts in the parishes of Halifax; Huddersfield, Almondbury, Kirkburton and Kirkheaton; Bradford (except for the township of Haworth), Guiseley and Calverley; Keighley, Bingley and the township of Haworth; and Batley, Birstall, Mirfield, Hartsdead-cum-Clifton and the lordship and liberty of Tong. All these Acts provided for the submission of the annual accounts of the courts to the quarter sessions. The County Courts Act of 1846 reformed the organisation of local courts of requests and no further accounts were returned.


An Act of 1853 required charity trustees to deposit copies of their annual accounts with the clerk of the peace, but this decision was repealled two years later. Thus of the 159 charities which deposited accounts, virtually all ceased to do so by 1857 (except the trustees of the Ledsham charities of Lady Elizabeth Hastings who continued to do so until 1913).


Under an Act of 1793 Friendly Societies were to submit their rules to quarter sessions and if confirmed a transcript was to be enrolled with the clerk of the peace. Similar provisions were made later in respect of loans societies and building societies. Following Acts of 1846 and 1855 these responsibilities fell to the Registrar of Friendly Societies.


By an Act of 1817 transcripts of savings bank rules were to be deposited with the clerk of the peace. This requirement was repealed in 1844. There are deposited rules for nineteen banks.



When property was required for public undertakings, the local Act of parliament which authorised the scheme also specified which properties were liable for compulsory purchase and the procedure to be followed for assessing compensation when the landowner and the company or local authority were unable to reach an agreement. This generally involved a hearing before a specially summoned jury. At the inquisition the jury heard witnesses for both parties and then made an award. This award, or verdict, was signed by the sheriff and deposited with the clerk of the peace, often with the writ issued to the sheriff. In instances where the sheriff himself had an interest in the property at issue the inquisition was held by a coroner.


An Act of 1820 obliged clerks and treasurers of turnpike trusts to make financial returns to the clerk of the peace which were to be copied into a book and sent to the Home Secretary. These accounts are available for 118 trusts and most date from the 1820s to the 1870s when the number of trusts making returns fell off dramatically. The accounts cease completely in 1890.


Under the Leeds Waterworks Act 1838 referees were to safeguard the water rights of property owners whose interests might be affected by works sanctioned by the Act. Sixty nine gauge books recording the readings taken by the referees were deposited with the clerk of peace.


The accounts of 72 gas companies were deposited with the clerk of the peace under the provisions of their local Acts and the Gasworks Clauses Act 1847. Eighteen are represented by single returns only and only a third of company accounts predate 1870. Twenty four series of accounts run for more than 30 years and those for Barnsley, Holmfirth, Pudsey, Sheffield and Wakefield companies are available for over sixty years.


Annual accounts were deposited with the clerk of the peace in comformity with the provisions in the companies' local Acts and the Waterworks Clauses Act 1847. Returns for 22 water companies survive, but many are represented by a single return only. There are series of returns for periods of more than a decade for nine companies. Annual accounts of the corporation of Hatfield Chase are available between 1894-1934, and those of the Wharfe River Navigation Company between 1891-1895.


Eighteen items only survive, including the Brighouse Improvement Commissioners 1846-1849, and the Colne and Holme Joint Isolation Hospital Committee 1904-1906.


The half yearly reports and accounts of the Midland Railway Company 1859-1885, and the Yorkshire Electric Power Company 1905 and 1906 survive.


An Act of 1714 enabled two justices to require 'suspected persons' to take oaths of abjuration, allegiance and supremancy before them. Those who failed to do so were to be 'adjudged popish recusants convict' and certified as such to the quarter sessions. There are lists and certificates for the years 1714-1716 and 1722. Under the provisions of an Act of 1715 Roman Catholics were to register their names and real estates with the clerk of the peace of the county in which their property lay. Entries were to be made in a parchment volume which was to be produced at quarter sessions where the landowner or his attorney was to subscribe his name to the entry. This obligation was repealed in 1791. There are over 170 directions to the clerk of the peace to register estates and warrants of the attorney from 1716-1771; a parchment register 1717-1734/5; and five parchment rolls and a single parchment roll containing enrolments 1719-1790. Members of Roman Cathloic religious orders were to register with the clerk of the peace under an Act of 1829. The roll contains 7 entries made between July and October 1829.


Records of oaths and declarations prior to 1830 (and in some instances later) are to be found in the sessions rolls. From 1830 are separate registers of oaths and declarations made by those holding public office, including justices of the peace. Only justices and deputy lieutenants are signatories in these registers after 1871.


By an Act of 1843 premises occupied by scientific, literary and fine art societies could gain exemption from local rates. A certified copy of the rules of the society were to be deposited with the clerk of the peace. Thirty six rule books exist, mostly for mechanics' institutes.


Acts of 1784 and 1785 required anyone who kept a game dog or equpiment for taking game, whether for sport or as a gamekeeper, were to obtain an annual certificate from the clerk of the peace. There are registers of certificates issued to gentlemen 1795-1807, and to gamekeepers 1796-1807. An Act of 1808 transferred this function to the Collectors of Assessed Taxes. See also Deputations to Gamekeepers (ref. QE8 - above).


An Act of 1552 required alehouse-keepers to be licensed annually by two justices and to enter into recognisances. Very few papers of these licensing or 'brewster' sessions survive. Those for the session of 1697 and 1720 also contain returns of badgers (ie dealers in corn, fish, butter or cheese) made under the provisions of an Act of 1563. By an Act of 1753 the clerk of the peace was to keep a register or calendar of these recognisances; unfortunately not all returns for each wapentake in each year have survived. An Act of 1828 consolidated and revised the licensing laws and made the taking of recognisances redundant. The involvement of quarter sessions in licensing then lapsed until the Licensing Act 1872 (see Licensing Committee records ref. QC11). For further information see also Licensing: Alehouses.


An Act of 1802 for the 'preservation of the health and morals of apprentices' required the justices at midsummer quarter sessions to appoint visitors to inspect all cotton and woollen mills in which 3 or more apprentices worked. The visitors were to make written reports and these were to be entered by the clerk of the peace kept for that purpose; unfortunatley no such book survives. There are however 43 returns by masters between 1803 and 1806, some concerning more than one mill. For further information about apprentices see Apprenticeship Indentures.


An Act of 1786 made it necessary for any slaughterhouses not used for butcher's meat to be licensed by quarter sessions. No registers have been found pre 1860. Licensing was transferred to the jurisdiction of the district council by the Local Government Act 1894.


The Unlawful Societies Act 1799 exempted lodges of freemasons from its provisions provided they deposited a certificate annually with the clerk of the peace. The certificate was to include the name of the lodge, its place and time of meetings and the names, place of residence and occupations of its members. This provision was repealed by the Criminal Law Act 1967 but the returns were not preserved beyond the current year after 1918. Lists of freemasons before 1836 are to be found on the sessions rolls.


The Unlawful Societies Act 1799 required printers and makers of presses and types to notify the clerk of the peace and obtain a certificate of notification. Copies of the notices were to be sent by the clerk of the peace to the Home Secretary. These provisions were repealled in 1869. The 168 notices give the name and signature of the printer, the number of presses (usually only one) and the location of the press which is only infrequently a specific address.


A notice by the borough of Leeds that the council intended to exercise all the powers authorised by the Act of 1859.

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