Ireland, Petty Sessions Court Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Ireland

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes court records from 1828 to 1912 for minor criminal and civil cases. The law court was called Petty Sessions Court, and these are the registers for those cases. Even dog registration was handled by this court.

This collection was originally captured by the National Archives of Ireland, and the index was created by findmypast.com.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these court records:
 * Individual’s Name
 * Date and county of court order
 * Individual's Role (complainant, defendant, or witness)
 * Other court details

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate date of birth

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Court orders usually identify the county. Search this county to find other local records, such as census records and parish registers, that may contain your ancestor
 * Search the court case information for family names or clues about your ancestor’s situation or life story

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Take a look at the image of the actual record to verify that the information in the index is correct. As with any index, transcription errors may occur

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Ireland.
 * Ireland Guided Research
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.