Petty Sessions: Introduction

The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available.

Historical Background

Petty Sessions courts grew out of the authority of Justices of the Peace to exercise summary jurisdiction in cases of petty crime, without a jury and without having to wait for the next Quarter Sessions court. The burden of work for the Quarter Sessions gradually increased to such an extent that another court was required to take on some minor cases and routine business. The existence of separate petty sessional divisions within the West Riding is first noted in the West Riding Quarter Sessions records in the 1660s, although the justices had probably been acting in Petty Sessions for some time before this.

In addition to the petty sessional courts held by justices who were members of the county commission, municipal boroughs could be granted separate commissions of the peace, although some later lost their separate status and were reabsorbed back into the county under the provisions of the Justices of the Peace Act, 1949. The Leeds charter of incorporation of 1661 gave the Borough the right to hold its own Quarter and Petty Sessions, which were independent of the West Riding courts. Within the present day Leeds metropolitan district, both Morley and Pudsey were also later issued with separate commissions of the peace (see below for further details).

The original divisions in the West Riding were based on an ancient administrative area called the wapentake. An Act of 1828 allowed quarter sessions to alter boundaries and make new divisions. In the 1840s and 1850s new divisions were created based on Dewsbury, Keighley, Kirkby Malzeard, Otley, Saddleworth and Wetherby. Todmorden was created in 1883.

A comprehensive reorganisation of the West Riding divisions was made by the Petty Sessional Divisions (West Riding of Yorkshire) Order, 1955, Statutory Instrument 1955 no.517.

In 1971 the three tier criminal court system of Assize Courts, Quarter Sessions and Petty Sessions was abolished and replaced by a two-tier system of Crown Courts and Magistrates Courts.

A new commission of the peace was issued for each new county created under the Local Government Act, 1972, including West Yorkshire. Each metropolitan district had a separate magistrates courts committee. The Bradford, Kirklees and Wakefield committees amalgamated in 1995 (S.I. 1995 no.2373) to form a new committee known as the West Riding magistrates court committee. The West Riding committee (incorporating the Petty Sessions Divisions of Bradford, Batley & Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Keighley, Pontefract and Wakefield), then merged with the Calderdale (Calderdale Division), and Leeds City (Leeds, Morley, Pudsey & Otley, Skyrack & Wetherby) committees to constitute a new West Yorkshire magistrates courts committee, consisting of all five metropolitan districts within West Yorkshire, by the Magistrates' Courts Committees (West Yorkshire) Amalgamation Order, 1998, Statutory Instrument 1998 no. 2769, coming into force on 1st April 2000.

On the establishment of the West Yorkshire Magistrates Court Committee, the four petty sessional areas within the Leeds area (Leeds, Morley, Pudsey & Otley, Skyrack & Wetherby) remained unchanged, but three courthouses had already closed: Otley (31 March 1997), Morley (31 March 1999) and Pudsey (31 March 1999). Cases arising within these petty sessional areas were held at the Leeds courthouse. However, an appeal against the decision to close Wetherby courthouse was successful. Wetherby courthouse therefore remained open, and Skyrack & Wetherby cases continued to be listed there (except for youth and family cases which were heard in the Leeds courthouse).

The Petty Sessions Areas (Leeds District) Order 2001 abolished all four existing Petty Sessions Areas (ie Leeds, Morley, Pudsey & Otley, Skyrack & Wetherby), and established a new area called the Leeds District Petty Sessions Area with effect from 1 January 2002. From that date there was a single Petty Sessions Area for the Leeds Metropolitan District, with a single bench of Leeds District Justices, but they heard cases within the Leeds courthouse and also for a time at the Wetherby courthouse. However, the cells within the Wetherby courthouse were condemned and could not be used, and there were other problems with the building, such that it ceased to be used for the listing of cases with effect from 1 July 2003.

Under the Courts Act 2003 and a series of Statutory Instruments, the West Yorkshire Magistrates Court Committee ceased to exist from 1 April 2005. Commission areas (including West Yorkshire Commission Area) and Petty Sessions Areas (including Leeds District Petty Sessions Area) were abolished and replaced with a national jurisdiction and a Leeds District Local Justice Area.

Petty Sessions Records

Acts of 1848 and 1855 made it necessary for records of convictions at petty sessions to be filed with the clerk of the peace at quarter sessions, but it was not until the Summary Jurisdiction Act, 1879 that there was legislation governing the format which petty sessions records were to take. The activities of the courts varied over time but included petty crime, traffic offences, matrimonial cases, adoptions, probate matters and cases relating to illegitimate children. In 1872, the regulation and licensing of all beer shops came under the control of justices of the peace, a power they retained until February 2005 when control of liquor licensing was transferred to local authorities.

Surviving records of all West Yorkshire Petty Sessions courts are held at West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield, except for those of the Leeds Borough court which are held at WYAS, Leeds. A list of the Petty Session records held by the West Yorkshire Archive Service can be found on Petty Sessions

Petty Session Divisions

The following divisions relate to areas which now form (in whole or part) the wider Leeds metropolitan district:

Agbrigg Lower (P7)

The wapentake of Agbrigg was divided into lower and upper divisions in 1797, with the lower division holding sessions at Wakefield. The boundaries were slightly altered under the 1955 Order to include the parish of Lofthouse in the urban district of Rothwell, which later (1974) formed part of Leeds metropolitan district.

Barkston Ash Upper (P14)

This court held its sessions at Sherburn. This division was abolished under the 1955 Order and became part of the newly-created Tadcaster division in 1955, except for:

Brotherton (now North Yorkshire)
Fairburn (now North Yorkshire)
Ledsham (now West Yorkshire – Leeds Metropolitan District)
Ledston (now West Yorkshire – Leeds Metropolitan District)

which were transferred into the Osgoldcross Division (P19) and

Lotherton cum Aberford (now West Yorkshire – Leeds Metropolitan District)
Micklefield (now West Yorkshire – Leeds Metropolitan District)

which were transferred into the Skyrack Division (P13)

Morley East Division (P1)

East Morley ceased to be a petty sessional division in 1955, when it became part of the new division of Bingley. The court had held its sessions at Bradford.

Otley (P5)

This division was constituted by an order of quarter sessions on 4 April 1853, and comprised twenty-five townships in the wapentakes of Lower and Upper Claro and Upper Skyrack. The boundaries were slightly altered in 1955 to comprise:

The urban districts and parishes of Aireborough, Ilkley and Otley
The rural district of Wharfedale, comprising the parishes of Arthington, Askwith, Blubberhouses, Bramhope, Carlton, Castley, Denton, Farnley, Fewston, Great Timble, Leathley, Lindley, Little Timble, Middleton, Nesfield with Langbar, Newall with Clifton, Norwood, Pool, Stainburn, Weston

Otley magistrates court closed on 31 March 1997.

Osgoldcross (P19)

This division was re-named from Upper Osgoldcross in 1955. The court held its sessions at Pontefract. From 1955, the division included part of the rural district of Tadcaster, comprising the parishes of Ledsham and Ledston, which later (1974) became part of Leeds Metropolitan District. Other parts of the division became part of Wakefield metropolitan district in 1974.

Pudsey Borough Division (P6)

A commission of the peace was issued for the borough in 1909. The borough later lost its separate status and subsequently became a petty sessional division of the West Riding under the provisions of the Justices of the Peace Act, 1949. The boundaries of the division matched those of the borough of Pudsey. Pudsey magistrates court closed on 31 March 1999.

Skyrack (P13)

This was one of the original petty sessional divisions. The court held its sessions at Leeds. The boundaries were slightly altered in 1955 by the addition of the parishes of Lotherton cum Aberford and Micklefield to comprise:

The urban districts and parishes of Garforth and Horsforth
Part of the urban district of Rothwell, comprising the parish of Rothwell
Part of the rural district of Wetherby, comprising the parishes of Scarcroft and Thorner
Part of the rural district of Tadcaster, comprising the parishes of Aberford, Austhorpe, Barwick in Elmet, Great and Little Preston, Lotherton cum Aberford, Micklefield, Parlington, Sturton Grange, Swillington

All parishes in this division became part of Leeds metropolitan district in 1974 and the division was amalgamated with Wetherby (P15)

Wetherby (P15)

This division was constituted by an order of quarter sessions on 30 June 1857, and comprised twenty-two townships in the divisions of Western Ainsty, Upper Barkston Ash, Upper Claro, and Lower and Upper Skyrack. As re-constituted by the 1955 Order, the division consisted of:

The parishes of Knapton and Rufforth in the rural district of Nidderdale
Part of the rural district of Wetherby, comprising the parishes of Angram, Bardsey cum Rigton, Bilton, Boston Spa, Bramham cum Oglethorpe, Clifford, Collingham, East Keswick, Harewood, Hutton Wandesley, Kearby with Netherby, Kirk Deighton, Kirkby Overblow, Little Ribston, Long Marston, North Deighton, Sicklinghall, Spofforth with Stockeld, Thorp Arch, Tockwith, Walton, Wetherby, Wighill, Wilstrop, Wothersome.

Morley Borough (P12)

Morley received its charter as a municipal borough on 5 January 1886, and was granted a separate commission of the peace in 1893. Morley magistrates court was closed on 1 January 2002.