Catalogue description Court of Requests: Pleadings

Pleadings in the Court of Requests, but with a few other papers, including decree and order books, writs, warrants, certificates and bonds. They deal with matters of property title and possession, annuities, extents, dower, jointure and marriage contracts, matters of villeinage, water courses and highways, wilful escape, forfeitures to the king by recognizance, riots, forgery and perjury. Occasionally, they deal with criminal matters such as civil disturbance, forgery and, by the late sixteenth century, matters of Admiralty jurisdiction.

Details of cases are being entered into the online catalogue from the existing finding aids (starting at the beginning of REQ 2), but for some years to come the main route of access will remain the paper finding aids available at The National Archives.

Where details of cases have been entered into the online catalogue, a code has been given at the end of each item description to show the type of case, as follows:

• SFP = sole female plaintiff
• SMP = sole male plaintiff
• JFP = joint female plaintiff plus others (eg Susan Jones plus others)
• JMP = joint male plaintiff plus others (eg Robert Jones plus others)
• XP = husband and wife as plaintiff
• JXP = husband and wife as plaintiff plus others (eg Robert and Susan Jones plus others)

Some cases of 1497 to 1569 are transcribed in Select cases in the Court of Requests, ed E S Leadom, Selden Society, XII (1898).

Calendars of REQ 2/1-40 137-311 and 387-409 will be found on open access. Please speak to staff at the Map and Large Document Room enquiry desk for the precise location. When using the calendars, bear in mind that these records are produced to the reading rooms by the box. For example, to see REQ 2/66/15, order REQ 2/66 and look for bundle 15