Search Surrey feet of fines 1558-1760

Each result will provide you with a transcript, which will include all or some of the following fields:

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Year
• Term – the feet of fines were arranged by term: Easter, Michaelmas, Trinity, and Hilary
• Record as transcribed
• Place
• County
• Country
• Archive reference
• Archive

Cliff Webb, who provided the transcripts, transcribed them from the holdings at The National Archives (TNA). In most cases, the actual fine is in the year and term referred to in the note, but in some cases, the original record may be found in the next or subsequent term’s bundle. The TNA references for the original records are in the form: (class reference)/(bundle number)/(regnal year)/(legal term). The class reference is CP 25/2 for all feet of fines, and the legal term is given in the record. The regnal year is the year starting with the anniversary day of the accession of the monarch. For example, Elizabeth I ascended to the throne on 17 November 1558, so her first regnal year (expressed as 1 Elizabeth or 1 Eliz) runs from that date to 16 November 1559. A legal term could, however, run through the anniversary date; Michaelmas term usually did run into the next year and so was recorded with a double regnal year (e.g. 1 & 2 Eliz).

At TNA, the documents are divided into bundles that contain the fines for a county for a given run of years. At the start of a list of fines, those transactions that involved more than one county (called double county fines) were recorded. Double county fines are arranged in different bundles than those that only pertain to one county.

Reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1602/3)

• Bundle 225 – 1 Eliz 1/Hil to 18 & 19 Eliz 1/Mich [Hilary 1558/9-Michaelmas 1576]
• Bundle 226 – 19 Eliz 1/Hil to 26 Eliz 1/Trin [Hilary 1576/7-Trinity 1583]
• Bundle 227 – 26 & 27 Eliz 1/Mich to 34 Eliz 1/East [Michaelmas 1583-Easter 1592]
• Bundle 228 – 34 Eliz 1/Trin to 45 Eliz 1/Hil [Trinity 1592-Hilary 1602/3]

Double County fines

• Bundle 259 – 1 Eliz 1/Hil to 13 & 14 Eliz 1/Mich
• Bundle 260 – 14 Eliz 1/Hil to 28 Eliz 1/East
• Bundle 261 – 28 Eliz 1/Trin to 34 Eliz 1/East
• Bundle 262 – 34 Eliz 1/Trin to 45 Eliz 1/Hil

If you need to find the actual year quickly, simply add 1558 if Hilary, Easter, or Trinity terms, and also add 1558 to the first of the double years if it is Michaelmas term.

Reign of James I (1602/3-1625)

• Bundle 359 – 1 Jas 1/East - 8 Jas 1/Hil [Easter 1603-Hilary 1610/1]
• Bundle 360 – 9 Jas 1/East - 17 Jas 1/Hil [Easter 1611-Hilary 1619/20]
• Bundle 361 – 18 Jas 1/East - 22 Jas 1/Hil [Easter 1620-Hilary 1624/5]

Double County fines

• Bundle 385 – 1 Jas 1/East - 8 Jas 1/Hil [Easter 1603-Hilary 1610/1]
• Bundle 386 – 9 Jas 1/East - 17 Jas 1/Hil [Easter 1611-Hilary 1619/20]
• Bundle 387 – 18 Jas 1/East - 22 Jas 1/Hil [Easter 1621-Hilary 1624/5]

Reign of Charles I (1625-1648/9)

• Bundle 492 – 1 Chas 1/East - 5 Chas 1/Hil [Easter 1625-Hilary 1629/30]
• Bundle 493 – 6 Chas 1/East - 9 Chas 1/Hil [Easter 1630-Hilary 1633/4]
• Bundle 494 – 10 Chas 1/East - 13 Chas 1/Hil [Easter 1634-Hilary 1637/8]
• Bundle 495 – 14 Chas 1/East - 17 Chas 1/Hil [Easter 1638-Hilary 1641/2]
• Bundle 496 – 18 Chas 1/East - 24 Chas 1/Hil [Easter 1642-Hilary 1648/9]

Double County fines

• Bundle 526 – 1 Chas 1/East - 5 Chas 1/Hil [Easter 1625-Hilary 1629/30]
• Bundle 527 – 6 Chas 1/East - 13 Chas 1/Hil [Easter 1630-Hilary 1637/8]
• Bundle 528 – 14 Chas 1/East - 24 Chas 1/Mich [Easter 1638-Hilary 1648/9]

Commonwealth (1648/9-1660)

• Bundle 601 – 1649/East - 1654/Hil [Easter 1649-Hilary 1653/4]
• Bundle 602 – 1654/East - 1660/East [Easter 1654-Easter 1660]

Double County fines

• Bundle 616 – 1649/East - 1654/Hil [Easter 1649-Hilary 1653/4]
• Bundle 617 – 1654/East - 1660/East [Easter 1654-Easter 1660]

Reign of Charles II (1660-1684/5)

• Bundle 731 – 12 Chas 2 - 17 Chas 2/Mich [1660-Michaelmas 1665]
• Bundle 732 – 17 & 18 Chas 2/Hil - 23 Chas 2/Mich [Hilary 1665/6-Michaelmas 1671]
• Bundle 733 – 23 & 24 Chas 2/East - 30 Chas 2/East [Easter 1671-Easter 1678]
• Bundle 734 – 30 Chas 2/Trin - 36 & 37 Chas 2/Hil [Trinity 1678-Hilary 1684/5]

Double County fines

• Bundle 760 – 12 Chas 2/Trin - 17 Chas 2/Mich [Trinity 1660-Michaelmas 1665]
• Bundle 761 – 17 & 18 Chas 2/Hil - 23 Chas 2/Mich [Hilary 1665/6-Michaelmas 1671]
• Bundle 762 – 23 & 24 Chas 2/Hil - 30 Chas 2/East [Hilary 1671/2-Easter 1678]
• Bundle 763 – 30 Chas 2/Trin - 36 & 37 Chas 2/Hil [Trinity 1678-Hilary 1684/5]

Reign of James II (1684/5-1688)

• Bundle 799 – 1 Jas 2/East - 4 Jas 2/Mich [Easter 1685-Michaelmas 1688]

Double County fines

• Bundle 806 – 1 Jas 2/East - 4 Jas 2/Mich [Easter 1685-Michaelmas 1688]

Reign of William & Mary/William III (1688/9-1701/2)

• Bundle 878 1 Wm & Mary/East - 6 Wm & Mary/Mich [Easter 1689-Michaelmas 1694]
• Bundle 879 6 Wm 3/Hil - 13 Wm 3/Hil [Hilary 1694/5-Hilary 1701/2]

Double County fines

• Bundle 897 – 1 Wm & My/East - 3 Wm & My/Hil [Easter 1689-Hilary 1691/2]
• Bundle 898 – 4 Wm & My/East - 6 Wm & My/Hil [Easter 1692-Hilary 1694/5]
• Bundle 899 – 7 Wm 3/East - 13 Wm 3/Hil [Easter 1695-Hilary 1701/2]

Reign of Anne (1701/2-1714)

• Bundle 971 – 1 Anne/East - 5 Anne/Hil [Easter 1702-Hilary 1706/7]
• Bundle 972 – 6 Anne/East - 10 Anne/Mich [Easter 1707-Michaelmas 1711]
• Bundle 973 – 10 Anne/Hil - 13 Anne/Trin [Hilary 1711/2-Trinity 1714]

Double County fines

[bundles numbers not provided]

Reign of George I (1714-1727)

• Bundle 1067 – 1 Geo 1/Mich - 5 Geo 1/Mich [Michaelmas 1714-Michaelmas 1718]
• Bundle 1068 – 5 Geo 1/Hil - 8 Geo 1/Trin [Hilary 1719-Trinity 1722]
• Bundle 1069 – 9 Geo 1/Mich - 13 Geo 1/Trin [Michaelmas 1722-Trinity 1727]

Double County fines

• Bundle 1087 – 1 Geo 1/Mich - 5 Geo 1/Mich [Michaelmas 1714-Michaelmas 1718]
• Bundle 1088 – 5 Geo 1/Hil - 8 Geo 1/Trin [Hilary 1718/9-Trinity 1722]
• Bundle 1089 – 9 Geo 1/Mich - 13 Geo 1/Trin [Michaelmas 1722-Trinity 1727]

Reign of George II (1727-1760)

• Bundle 1216 – 1 Geo 2/Mich - 6 & 7 Geo 2/Trin [Michaelmas 1727-Trinity 1733]
• Bundle 1217 – 7 Geo 2/Mich - 14 & 15 Geo 2/Trin [Michaelmas 1733-Trinity 1741]
• Bundle 1218 – 15 Geo 2/Mich - 20 & 21 Geo 2/Trin [Michaelmas 1741-Trinity 1747]
• Bundle 1219 – 21 Geo 2/Mich - 25 Geo 2/East [Michaelmas 1747-Easter 1752]
• Bundle 1220 – 25 & 26 Geo 2/Trin - 29 & 30 Geo 2/Trin [Trinity 1752-Trinity 1756]
• Bundle 1221 – 30 Geo 2/Mich - 33 & 34 Geo 2/Trin [Michaelmas 1756-Trinity 1760]

Double County fines

• Bundle 1259 – 1 Geo 2/Mich - 9 Geo 2/Hil [Michaelmas 1727-Hilary 1735]
• Bundle 1260 – 9 Geo 2/East - 20 Geo 2/Mich [Easter 1736-Michaelmas 1746]
• Bundle 1261 – 20 Geo 2/Hil - 27 Geo 2/Mich [Hilary 1746/7-Michaelmas 1753]
• Bundle 1262 – 27 Geo 2/Hil - 33 & 34 Geo 2/Trin [Hilary 1754-Trinity 1760]

Feet of fines were documents of a fictitious suit of law created to obtain a secure transfer of land. The document recorded the final agreement (or concord), written in triplicate, between buyer and seller: two copies side by side and one copy across the bottom of the sheet (the foot of the fine). An indented or wavy line separated the three sections; one section was given to the seller, one to the buyer, and one (the foot) to the court. The idea behind this system was that forgeries could be identified by showing they didn’t fit the three-piece jigsaw of the authentic, original foot of fine.

However, there was no legal obligation to have the title of property registered this way; such fines were usually one of several deed conveyance documents.

The amount of detail provided in a foot of fine varied from period to period. For example, some will provide the full names of all the buyers and sellers while others only provide the last name of the first buyer in a transaction. Documents were recorded in Latin in a Chancery script until the Hilary term 1732-1733. Following 1733, the records were recorded in English and in a script that was easier to read.