Search 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