PETTY SESSIONS RECORDS

PUBLIC RECORDS. Access Restricted due to Data Protection.

Records of Caerwys Division, 1856-1953; records of Flint Division, 1874-1967, including minute books, 1874-1958, and court registers, 1887-1967; Hawarden Division records, 1924-1971; Holywell Division records, 1863-1962; Hope Division records, 1907-1970; Mold Division records, 1917-1971; Mold, Hope and Hawarden Divisions court registers, 1921-1955; Northop Division records, 1917-1970; Mold, Hope, Hawarden and Northop Divisions records, 1887-1976; Overton (Maelor) Division records, 1906-1974; Prestatyn Division records, 1862-1974, including minute books, 1862-1973, and court registers, 1892-1974; Rhuddlan Division records, 1848-1983; Prestatyn and Rhuddlan Divisions records, 1894-1962; Holywell and Caerwys (with Flint from 1966) Division records, 1920-1975; records of Mold, Northop, Flint, Hawarden, Hope and Maelor Divisions, 1942-1975; records of Hawarden, Mold and Flint Divisions, 1968-1991; and specimen cases, 1960-1975.

Petty Sessions began to appear at the beginning of the 18th century as extra meetings to lessen the burden on Justices of the Peace in Quarter Sessions. The normal practice was to subdivide a shire into geographical divisions, with each magistrate being assigned to a particular division. The Sessions were held twice monthly in each division. The Petty Sessions dealt mainly with minor cases such as drunkenness, assaults, larceny, trespassing, fraud and juvenile cases, as well as ale licensing and adoption. The county of Flintshire was divided originally into the Divisions of Caerwys, Flint, Hawarden, Holywell, Hope, Mold, Northop, Overton, Prestatyn, and Rhuddlan. From 1953, Overton became Maelor Division. In 1954, Holywell and Caerwys amalgamated. On 1 April 1974, Flint amalgamated with Holywell and Caerwys to become Flint Division; Mold and Northop amalgamated to become Mold; and Hawarden and Hope amalgamated to become Hawarden. At the same time, Prestatyn and Rhuddlan joined together as Rhuddlan Division.

Arranged by Division and Record Type

Data Protection Act restrictions will apply to any items less than 100 years old that contain personal information as defined by the Act. Records are not available to searchers without prior consent of the Magistrates' Courts.

Deposited by the Clerk to the Magistrates, Law Courts, Civic Centre, Mold, 1975-1993; Messrs Gamlin Kelly and Beattie, Solicitors, 4 Clwyd Street, Rhyl, 1976; the Clerk to the Magistrates, Law Courts, Prestatyn, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1992; A. N. Burt, Esq., Clerk to the Magistrates, Law Courts, Bodhyfryd, Wrexham, 1984, 1988; by the Clerks of the Petty Sessional Divisions of Mold, Hawarden and Flint, 1994.

Please order documents using the alternative reference number (where provided).

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Flintshire Record Office, Petty Sessions Records; Glamorgan Record Office website (www.glamro.gov.uk/adobe/courts.pdf), viewed 14 July 2003.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available in Flintshire Record Office. Catalogue is searchable online at: http://calmview.flintshire.gov.uk/CalmView/

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Flintshire Record Office, Petty Sessions Records; Glamorgan Record Office website (www.glamro.gov.uk/adobe/courts.pdf), viewed 14 Jul 2003.

Public records. May be copied without any need for a copyright form (but see access restrictions).

All records have been retained; adoption records for Prestatyn and Rhuddlan divisions are missing / have been destroyed.

Accruals are possible

Flintshire Record Office also holds printouts for Wrexham Maelor Magistrates Courts from October 1985 - see location L/143.

Wrexham Maelor Magistrates court records for 1980s and part of the 1990s are held at Denbighshire Record Office.

Nantconwy Division (Denbighshire and Caernarfonshire) Adoption Records 1927-38 are held by UCNW Library.