INDICTMENT ROLLS

The indictment rolls should be used in conjunction with the complementary series of recognizance rolls [Q/SRc]. Two series of files were made up for each sessions, one for recognizances, the other for the bulk of the indictments. These last dealt mainly with matters such as the non-repair of the highways, various nuisances, non-attendance at church and assault and were numbered and indexed alphabetically by defendants' names in the Process Books [Q/SPi]. Other small files of indictments are also found often grouping together into separate bundles, the indictments of those offenders in custody and those indictments which the Grand Jury did not endorse. In addition there are jury lists attached to precepts to summon juries and lists of Grand Jurors and prisoners. These subsiduary documents up to 1681 are usually found in the recognizance rolls, sometimes forming an integral part of them, sometimes loose, but occasionally they were placed on the indictment rolls.

The indictment rolls usually include some jury lists up to 1666 and presentments by the Grand Jury and hundredal juries and by individual justices and constables up to 1685. After that date jury presentments only occur occasionally but some presentments by individuals continued up to the 1790's particularly in West Kent.

Up to 1681 the recognizance rolls appear to have been the primary series. During the period, 1680-1705, the records do not appear to have been well kept, partly due to a number of changes in the clerkship of the peace for political reasons. The records have also suffered physically, some are charred and the series are defective. After about 1706 the indictment rolls appear to have been the primary series and in the 1730's absorbed the recognizances rolls.

The combined indictment and recognizance rolls date from Easter Sessions 1730 for East Kent and from Easter Sessions 1733 for West Kent, after which dates four sessions were held in each division. The rolls contain in addition to indictments and recognizances, some presentments, process writs, precepts to summon and jury lists. From 1733 to 1767, for both divisions, wage assessments were made at Easter Sessions and are usually to be found filed on the Midsummer sessions rolls for each division. There are some gaps and a series of unfiled assessments had been created at a later stage from the stray documents [see Q/AW].

In the last decade of the eighteenth century and the first two decades of the nineteenth century, changes were made in the make-up of the sessions rolls. The number of indictments and recognizances increased greatly but process documents were usually omitted from 1795 in East Kent and from 1800 in West Kent. Memoranda of summary convictions are filed after about 1822 and increase greatly in number during the eighteen-twenties. Some articles of the peace are filed from 1808 in West Kent and 1819 in East Kent up to 1848 for East Kent and 1857 for West Kent. Some informations are also filed. From 1813 the rolls are endorsed with the name of the month when held not with the old traditional festival and saints names, though for the sake of uniformity these have been continued in the following list. Additional Adjourned Sessions between Epiphany and Easter Sessions were held in February or March in West Kent from 1860.

In the 1860's the character of the rolls changes again. From Easter 1864 in East Kent precepts and estreat rolls are included. Precepts are found on West Kent files from Epiphany 1862 and estreats from Midsummer 1865 except at Adjourned Sessions. Calendars of prisoners are included on some files in both divisions from 1885 and normally from 1890. Recognizances were no longer placed on the indictment rolls after Midsummer 1907 in West Kent and Epiphany 1908 in East Kent.

From Easter 1916 in West Kent and Midsummer 1916 in East Kent, indictments were no longer by Grand Jury presentments. Grand Jury lists appear again between Epiphany 1922 and Midsummer 1933 in East Kent and Easter 1922 and Midsummer 1933 in West Kent when finally abolished.