07 January 2017

Findmypast adds Ireland, Petty Sessions Court Registers

Findmypast with this addition has more than 22 million records with details of victims and witnesses as well as those accused of a petty crime.

Petty Sessions Courts handled cases ranged from merchants who had not paid duty on their goods, to workers suing for unpaid wages. Farmers were fined for letting their cattle wander or for allowing their cart to be driven without their name painted on the side. Debts were collected and disputes settled. Public drunkenness was a common offence, as was assault and general rowdiness. Political feelings were often volatile and there are frequent cases all over the country of people charged with putting up seditious posters or leaflets.
Findmypast additions this week include

The information contained varies considerably; you could find out: name, address, date in court, whether witness, complainant (or victim) or defendant (accused). Additional information in the image often includes details of the offence, verdict and sentence.

3 comments:

Paul Milner said...

John,

Your image really caught my eye on this one. Obviously there is a stamp that has been printed to pay for a fee or a tax. Is this the only denomination of Petty Session stamp? What was the time period it was in use? What was it for? Who was paying it? This former British stamp collector is curious? :-)

Paul Milner

Unknown said...

Hi John,

Do you maybe know if the stamps of Petty Session, could be used as postage or revenue stamp?

Thanks in advance.

Patrick

JDR said...

Sorry Patrick. A Canadian genealogist is no substitute for an Irish philatelist.