Catalogue description Court of Common Pleas: Posteas Files, William and Mary - George IV

Mainly term files, for the years 1689-1829, of posteas recording the outcome of cases initiated in Common Pleas but decided at nisi prius by a jury at the assizes.

Each individual filing consists of the writ of habere facias juratores to ensure the attendance of the trial jury; the jury panel; and the record of the proceedings in the court endorsed with the nisi prius proceedings, annotated with the date judgment was signed and the amounts of damages. It therefore records the entire course of the case from the beginning of proceedings to final judgment.

Also included are some examples from a separate series of files of posteas and inquisitions, while CP 41/253-262 includes miscellaneous supplementary material from the sixteenth century to 1837, mostly seventeenth and eighteenth century riders and final judgments from the offices of various prothonotaries.

There are also some examples of a separate series of term files of posteas and inquisitions, covering the same terms as files from the main series, identifiable now only because of the date duplication obvious in the list. They are much smaller files than the main series of posteas files, and many more may become apparent when the series is fully listed.

Some items were removed into unsorted miscellanea, from where they will in due course be added to the appropriate series; it is to be expected that most will become part of CP 57.

Earlier posteas files are in CP 57

Later posteas files are in CP 42

For docket books for 1708-1757, see CP 66

For docket books for 1770-1814, see CP 67

For docket books for 1734-1770, see CP 68

Some nineteenth century Common Pleas posteas formerly in private custody are in PRO 30/44

Court of Common Pleas, 1194-1875