Court of Burgesses

The Westminster Court of Burgesses was established by Act of Parliament in 1585 and originally dealt with minor criminal and moral offences. After the appointment of justices of the peace for Westminster in 1618, the Court of Burgesses dealt mainly with lesser cases such as weights and measures offences until its abolition in 1901.

Our records include:

• Grant of arms to the City of Westminster: 1601
  
  
• Minutes: 1610-1616, 1705-1901
  
  
• Annoyance jury presentments, amercements and registers of weights offences: 1799-1832, 1857-1889
  
  
• Jurors' rolls, appointments etc, 1684-1901

Further information about the Court of Burgesses

To search the Westminster Court of Burgesses records in more detail, visit our online catalogue, WESTCAT

The London Lives website features a useful introduction to the history of the Court of Burgesses

For a detailed historical description of the Court and its activities, see The Westminster City Fathers  by W.H. Manchée.