Introduction

This handwritten ledger served as a day journal and was kept by an unknown clerk from January 1, 1884 to January 9, 1886.

Scope and Content

Court House, 1932

The ledger/day journal is arranged in ten columns, recording the following information: Date, Complainant, Defendant, Officer, Offense, Judgment, Fine, Cost, Amount and the name of Judge Hunt. The complainant was generally a police officer. The amount of the fine varied from case to case.

There were a variety of judgments. Some defendants received a jail sentence and others received a term in the House of Correction. It is unclear where individuals served a "jail sentence" as opposed to the House of Correction. Minors were sent to reform school.

The most common matter before the court was a complaint of drunkenness against the defendant. The judgment for drunkenness was usually ten days in the House of Correction and a $3.00 fine. Fornication was also a fairly regular offense before the court. It usually carried a fine of fifteen dollars, but sometimes resulted in a jail term.

Arrangement

As a daily journal, the entries are chronological.

Administrative Information

The volume was accessioned by archivist Sally Stephensen and descriptive material written by archival assistant Kathie Gardner in August 2002.

Access

The records are open for research without restrictions under the conditions of the Archives' access policy. Records may be copied for use in administrative, scholarly or personal reserach. Researchers are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to use the material from the archivist.

Citation

The Police Court Ledger/Day Journal, January 1884-January 1886, Police Department, City of Manchester, New Hampshire.