A quick guide to QSR reference numbers.

Quarter Sessions took place 4 times a year.

These are numbered as:

QSRyear/1 - Epiphany
QSRyear/2 - Easter
QSRyear/3 - Midsummer
QSRyear/4 - Michaelmas

e.g. 1842 Epiphany session would be QSR1842/1

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The documents contained in the sessions have then been further separated as follows:-

QSRyear/session/1

• Writs/Warrants to hold the session
• Things about Justices of the Peace
• Appointing Juries - Jury Lists
• Lists of Constables

QSRyear/session/2 = Judicial business

• appointments
• visitors
• correspondence
• notices• estimates
• petitions
• appointment of adjudicators for establishing wheat prices

QSRyear/session/3 = Prisoners

• calendar of prisoners to stand trial
• sentencing documents

QSRyear/session/4 = Recognizances
QSRyear/session/5 = Depositions
QSRyear/session/6 = Indictments and Juries Presentments
QSRyear/session/7 = Articles of the Peace
QSRyear/session/8 = Appeals
QSRyear/session/9 = Poor Law & Bastardy
QSRyear/session/10 = Highways/Road & Bridges

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A useful piece of information.....

The Calendar of Prisoners which appears in QSRyear/session/3 lists all the prisoners to be tried at that Quarter Session.

The Calendar allocates each case a number.

The cataloguers of the project have attempted to keep this number the same for the case through the Recognizances, Depositions & Indictments sections.

So for example.....

QSR1853/1/3/1 is the Calendar of Prisoners for the Epiphany Session of 1853.

Case number 48 is Sarah Emery.

Therefore;
QSR1853/1/4/48 (Recognizances)
QSR1853/1/5/48 (Depositions)
QSR1853/1/6/48 (Indictments)
will all relate to the case of Sarah Emery.

The Accused

If an ancestor appears as the accused in the QSR, you are likely to find a number of documents linked to the case:

Recognizances – these detail the prosecutor in the case and those called to give evidence. Each witness is bound financially to appear, or on occasion by the threat of imprisonment.

Depositions – testimonies of the accuser and witnesses taken before magistrates prior to the crime being indicted. Most cases also feature a Statement by the accused, although it was not uncommon for there to be no comment made.

Indictments - showing the offence, the plea and the verdict. Along side these may sit documents detailing Previous Convictions.

Most quarters also feature a Calender of Prisoners. These detail: When received into gaol, degree of education, prisoner's name, age and trade, and details of the charge against them.

Finally, there is usually a Return of Persons Commited. This shows: Names of the accused, the offence, whether convicted, acquitted or discharged, and the sentence.