The Court of Record
Alteration of Parade - Mr. Grisbrook's tender of £120 for certain work at the parade at Stratford-place and White Rock being the only one received at an adjourned meeting on July 18th, and that tender being £30 more than the Surveyor's estimate, it was resolved not to accept it, and that the Council do the work themselves. Three months later, when the work was finished, the Surveyor said it only cost £97, although he had carried it four inches higher than the contract, thus saving more than £23.
The Court of Record - At the Council meeting on the 3rd of October, the question was asked if the £8 in the general account recommended by the Finance Committee to be paid to the Deputy Judge of the Court of Record was to continue for ever? The Clerk explained that the Court of Record had been practically superseded by the County Court, but the Recorder was the judge of the Court that was discontinued, and afterwards reopened by a mandamus #. There had, however, not been a case for some years until three years ago (1852 or '3) when there were two or three entries, but they never came to anything. Perhaps a few cases that came before the Court of Record may not be uninteresting, as showing the nature and practice of that now disused court. In 1822, Mr. Brown (whom I knew as living first in Courthouse street and afterwards in High street) was admitted as an attorney to the Court of Record. In the same year, Thomas and John Mannington, ironmongers of George street and William Garlick, jun. for £1 10s. 11d. and a rule nisi was granted. William Breeds and Wm. Hy. Troutbeck (Breeds and Troutbeck, grocers at 33 High street) sued Stephen Wilmshurst for a debt of £11 9s. 4d. George Jackson (a draper at 72 George street) and William Woodroffe for a debt of £23 10s. 8d. Thos. Breeds, Mark Boykett Breeds and Thos. Farncomb (merchants in High street) also made a claim against William Woodroffe of £9 5s. In this case, a declaration and common bail were filed, and an interlocutory judgement signed. Thos. Breeds, Hy. & Thos. Farncomb, Mark Boykett Breeds and Edward Wenham (bankers at 32 High street) and Richard Tutt and Samuel Cornford for a debt of £5 4s. 3d. In a case of Joseph Job versus Edward Eldridge, the latter absconded. Mark Phillips v. Richard Dewly, "respited". Thos. Shakeford v; Jas. Jenner "discharged". Thos. Maycock v; Thos. Austen, "paid with costs".
| Jas Mann & Jno. Cole, plaintiffs | Fine levied of two messuages and one garden & 2 curtilages with appurtances in All Saints street | ||
| Edward Milward & Sarah, his wife dfts | |||
Farncomb & others v. Wm. Woodroffe "Writ of Enquiry executed". These are but a few of the something like a hundred cases taken into the Court of Record in the year 1822, whilst in 1823 and '24, the cases, I believe were about fifty in each year, and apparently as varied as those of the County Court of the present day. The suits for Trespass were somewhat numerous as were also the cases of deforcements, it being a period in which there was much property changing hands; thus altogether, supporting the Town Clerk's statement at the Council Meeting in Oct, 1856, that much business was done at the Record court. The Breedses, who held the Rope Walks and other property at the Priory, were plaintiffs in several cases - some for debt and some for trespass. It-
