England Examples of Quarter Sessions Cases Taxation, Theft, Trade Regulations (National Institute)

Taxation
Records of the collection of taxes for many purposes were kept by the county clerk, and cases heard for those unwilling or unable to pay.

Theft
The cut-off point between petty and grand larceny was 1/- so many goods were valued at slightly under a shilling, say 10d so they could be dealt with in Quarter Sessions rather than be sent up to the Assizes. Barlow (2004 part 2) quotes a blatant case making the crime fit the sessions in 1782 in Hampshire where a total value of 10d was placed on 22 silver buttons, one black coarse gown, one pair of stays, one apron, a check shirt, two black silk handkerchiefs and 10 lbs of tallow!

Occasionally quarter and borough sessions would pass a sentence of death, an example is shown below.

Chart: Calendar of Crimes and Sentences Faversham Borough Sessions and Gaol Delivery 1824

Trade Regulation
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