COMMON PLEAS COURT AND PALACE COURT

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0074 ACC/0218
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: COMMON PLEAS COURT AND PALACE COURT
Date(s)	: 1849-1851
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 0.01 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: Court of Common Pleas

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Court of Common Pleas was founded by King Henry II to hear common pleas (matters between subject and subject). It was the only Court where personal actions of account, covenant, debt and detinue could be heard. The Court also had jurisdiction to review and change the decisions of older courts. From 1187 the Court sat at Westminster. The Court was headed by a Chief Justice, working with a team of lesser justices (between three and eight in number at various times) and a large number of clerks. The Court was abolished in 1875.

The Palace Court was a court of record for the trial of all those personal pleas and actions arising within twelve miles of the palace of Westminster which did not fall within the jurisdiction of the city of London or other liberties. It became in practice mainly a court for the recovery of small debts and was abolished from 1 August 1849 by Act 12 and 13 Victoria c101 (from the "Guide to the Contents of the Public Records Office").

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Brief for plaintiff in Court of Common Pleas (John Gandar, plaintiff, and Richard Henry Sheldrick, defendant), with note of fees in the case of Gandar v. Sheldrick, an action to recover damages for seizure of household goods and furniture under execution issued from Palace Court in action at suit of defendant v. William Charles Fisher, landlord of plaintiff; and letter from Gandar to attorney enquiring how the case is progressing and commenting on compensation to officers of the defunct Palace Court.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Three documents.

Conditions governing access:

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Deposited in April 1945.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
November 2009 to February 2010