Northamptonshire Quarter Sessions Licences 1689-1932

The County Quarter Sessions was a court with administrative and judicial functions until the 1888 Local Government Act transferred most of its administrative powers to the County Council. Each sitting was held within 21 days of the Quarter Day (Easter, Midsummer, Michaelmas and Epiphany), with occasional adjustments. A wide variety of administrative record types are found within these records.

These indexes give last name, first name, year the licence was granted, place, document type, source and archive reference number. Further information may be gained by consulting the original documents which are held at Northamptonshire Archives.

Meeting House Licences From 1689 until 1852 any individual or group who wished to open a Nonconformist chapel or hold such religious services in a house or other premises needed to obtain a licence from the Quarter Sessions. The premises would be described in a certificate signed by one or by several members of the congregation. This index will therefore show names of those people active in a group of dissenters. This index has 1,777 names for the period 1689-1851.

Badgers & Higglers Badgers & Higglers were generally itinerant trades or wholesalers who travelled around selling their goods. They had to wear a badge showing they were licenced and tended to specialize in food or other goods . Some traded solely at fairs and market but others would travel around the local parishes. This index has 1,212 names for the period 1693-1772.

Gamekeepers’ Licences Those wishing to kill game had to be licensed and game-keepers were issued with certificates from the JPs. Registers were kept by the Quarter Sessions and usually contain the name of person, year of licence, their abode or location of the land to which the licence related. Some entries will be for keepers appointed by the lord of the manor to act within his estate. This index has 2,490 names for the period 1709-1932