Introduction

Old Battery Building

The ledgers of the Police and Municipal Courts cover the years 1876 to 1959 and total twenty volumes.

This group of records documents various financial accounts of the court. The court was called the Police Court - City of Manchester from 1846 to 1913. It was renamed the Police Court for the District of Manchester from 1913 to 1915. In March 1915, the court was renamed the Municipal Court of Manchester.

Scope and Content

The Police Court ledgers consist of five series. Topics include accounts of fines in criminal cases, lawyers fees, fees for civil cases, witness fees, supply purchase and tallies of cases and accounts. The records have gaps and some volumes cover only a limited span of time.

Arrangement

The volumes are arranged chronologically within each series.

Administrative Information

The Police/Municipal Court ledgers were arranged and described by Bonnie Kilby, archival assistant, in December 2000.

Access

The records are open for research with restrictions. Researchers must receive permission from the archivist to reprint any portion of the material.

Citation

The Police and Municipal Court Ledgers: 1876-1959, Police Department, City of Manchester, New Hampshire.  Accession 2000.26

Series Descriptions

Court Accounts: Twelve volumes arranged chronologically and covering the period 1876 to 1958. These records are somewhat fragmentary. They record payment of fines for criminal cases, lawyers fees, and money paid to the City Treasurer by the Clerk of the Court.

Account Books for Fees in Civil Cases: Four volumes arranged chronologically, covering 1946 to 1958. The ledgers record fees paid for civil cases and other expenses. They are labled "Writs and Entries".

Account Books for Witness Fees: These two volumes cover the period 1951 to 1953 and 1957 to 1958. The ledgers record payment of witness fees.

Account Books for Supply Purchases: This volume, dated 1906 to 1917, records the purchase of various supplies and contains a partial index of the suppliers.

Tallies of Cases and Accounts: One volume, covering the period 1957 to 1959. It consists of tallies of the types of cases tried on a given day. It also contains summaries of the fines paid. There is a listing of the trials heard in 1957.


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