- Call Number:
- HIL-MICL FC LPR .O5C6S4H6M4
- Category:
- Ontario
- Creator:
- Upper Canada. Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace (Home District and York County).
- Material Description:
- 3 microfilm textual records (14 volumes and 26 miscellaneous files) ; 35 mm
- Background:
Until 1841 the Courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace acted in both an administrative and a judicial capacity for the Districts. After 1841 the municipal function was taken over by the District and later the County Councils, and the Court of General Sessions retained only its judicial functions as an Inferior Court with a jury.
The Home District was one of the four original Districts and included an area far greater than the present York County. The word "Quarter" was dropped from the name of the Court in 1868, and thereafter it was known as the Court of General Sessions of the Peace.
- Contents:
The records of the Court for the Home District, Courthouse at Toronto, include: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Court; Rough Minutes; Estreats*; and a miscellaneous group of case files and individual papers.
This microfilm consists of minute books kept by the Clerk of the Peace documenting this court of inferior (jury) criminal jurisdiction. The minute book entries are organized chronologically and include the date, name of the presiding judge, name of accused, charge, details of the alleged offence, pleadings, bail conditions, name of the defence lawyer, name of the witnesses for the Crown and the defence, list of exhibits, date(s) of court appearances and references to motions, verdict, sentence and information about the warrant of committal. Each volume has an index in alphabetical order by the defendant's last name.
* Estreats are a record of fines (including issues and amercements) and recognizances, which had been imposed on an accused by the court and which subsequently, had become forfeit to the Crown. For example, in the case of recognizances, an accused would forfeit the amount of his recognizance if he failed to perform the obligation specified in his recognizance. (Archives of Ontario)
- Originals:
The original documents are held by the Archives of Ontario.
- Archival Ref. No.:
- Finding Aids:
The Introduction and Table of Contents are available. A few volumes have internal indexes.
- PDF Finding Aid:
- Introduction-Contents_Minutes-Home-District_UC-Court-Genearl-Quarter-Sessions.pdf
- Notes:
Home District Minutes of Proceedings for 1800-1811 were printed and indexed in the 1832, Ontario Archives Report.