NORTH AYLESFORD PETTY SESSIONAL DIVISION RECORDS

PS/NA

c.1725-1982

fonds

In the 18th century, the justices of the Northern Division of the Lathe of Aylesford (a sub-division of the Kent County Quarter Sessions) met regularly on the first Friday of each month. There were often no more than two justices present at these "Petty Sessions". Although they had no jurisdiction over the City of Rochester, most of their meetings were held at the Crown Inn on the corner of Rochester High Street and the present Rochester Esplanade. Sessions moved to the Mitre Inn in Chatham High Street in 1766. Much of the Petty Session business pertained to settlement and removal under Poor Law legislation, but they also dealt with matters such as weights and measures, licensing, and county administrative issues including highways and high constables. By the mid-19th century Petty Sessions were held at the Rochester Cathedral Precincts, the Medway Union boardroom, Northfleet Police Station, Chatham Police Court (New Road Avenue, Chatham), and at public houses in outlying villages. North Aylesford was sometimes referred to as the "Rochester Division", which was easily confused with the separate City of Rochester Petty Sessions. In 1974 North Aylesford and Rochester City Petty Sessions were combined to form the new Medway Petty Sessional Division (see collection PS/ME). The geographical area of the North Aylesford Petty Sessional Division comprised the following hundreds, parishes and extra-parochial areas: - hundred of Toltingtrough: parishes of Ifield, Meopham, Luddesdown, Northfleet - hundred of Shamwell: parishes of Chalk, Shorne, Cobham, Cuxton, Halling, Higham, Cliffe, Cooling, Frindsbury, Strood - hundred of Hoo: parishes of Hoo St. Werburgh, High Halstow, Hoo St. Mary [St. Mary Hoo], Stoke, Allhallows - hundred of Chatham and Gillingham: Chatham (Chatham West Borough; Chatham Middle Borough; Chatham North Borough; Chatham East Borough), Gillingham (Gillingham West Borough; Gillingham Middle Borough; Gillingham East Borough), Lidsing [Lydsing], Grain - Cinque Ports limb of Grange alias Grench, Gillingham - Rochester Cathedral Precincts, Wouldham, St. Margaret's Extra parish, Rochester

Records classed as public records under the Public Records Act 1958, property of the Ministry of Justice. Records containing sensitive information are subject to a closure period.

See also the records of the Rochester City Petty Sessions 1924-1974 (RCA/J2), Rochester City Quarter Sessions 1607-1971 (RCA/J1), and Medway Petty Sessions 1976-1985 (PS/ME).