Assizes: Norfolk and Home Circuits: Indictments Files, 1689-1850

This series contains the Indictment files for the Norfolk, Home and South Eastern Circuits

This series was created in 1996 out of ASSI 35, which included all the files of those three circuits from 1559 onwards.

There are no Norfolk circuit files for 1833 to 1835, or for 1849 in this series. The City of Norwich only had Summer assizes in most years, but in 1832, 1836 to 1841, 1843 and 1847 it also had Lent assizes, and in 1844 both Lent and Winter assizes. In the Home circuit there was a series of special assizes between 1821 and 1833. Later there are occasional special assizes for both the Home and Norfolk circuits; those held in December are sometimes called Winter assizes. The change of title by which what were formerly called trespass files came to be called misdemeanour files took place in 1836.

The storage provision in the new Public Record Office at Kew, combined with the needs of the computerised ordering system, necessitated the division of ASSI 35 into three series. The files from 1559 to 1688 remain in their old series, and retain their old references; those from 1689 to 1850 were removed to this series.

From about 1800 the filing of the material for the Norfolk circuit breaks down to some extent, with many loose items, apparently never filed, separate from the main files for each county and session. Because of lack of time no attempt has been made to list the individual items separately, and each item classified as part of a single piece has had the piece number written upon it. It is hoped that this part of the series will be more satisfactorily listed when time allows.

• Justices of Assize, Home Circuit, 1541-1876
• Justices of Assize, Norfolk Circuit, 1541-1876