Court of Requests, City of London
Item
Country
GB
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
40 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HB
Contact information: phone number
0044 20 7332 3820
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Reference number
CLA/038
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
Court of Requests, City of London
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
Court of Requests
Date(s)
1595/1853
Language(s)
eng
Extent
4.3 linear metres
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
This fonds is comprised of records of the Court of Requests, City of London, from 1595 to 1853. It includes committee reports, petitions, regulations, appointments of Commissioners, accounts ledgers, cash books, records of fees, summons books, warrant books, bonds and promissory notes, and other administrative papers.
Although the disputes between members of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation of London should be presented to the Mahamad or the Beit Din, the religious court, in some cases, the Mahamad allowed the litigants to proceed to external courts, including the Court of Requests. Disputes on business matters involving small sums were submitted to this court, while the Chancery Court was chosen for other litigations of higher importance. The Court of Requests used to have four to six Jewish brokers, both Sephardim and Ashkenazim, registered as facilitators to assist members of the community. Therefore, this fonds contains records on litigations between Sephardim, in particular, the ledger books (LMA/CLA/038/02/001-LMA/CLA/038/02/010) and summons books (LMA/CLA/038/03/001-LMA/CLA/038/03/014). See Kerner (2019) for some examples.
Although the disputes between members of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation of London should be presented to the Mahamad or the Beit Din, the religious court, in some cases, the Mahamad allowed the litigants to proceed to external courts, including the Court of Requests. Disputes on business matters involving small sums were submitted to this court, while the Chancery Court was chosen for other litigations of higher importance. The Court of Requests used to have four to six Jewish brokers, both Sephardim and Ashkenazim, registered as facilitators to assist members of the community. Therefore, this fonds contains records on litigations between Sephardim, in particular, the ledger books (LMA/CLA/038/02/001-LMA/CLA/038/02/010) and summons books (LMA/CLA/038/03/001-LMA/CLA/038/03/014). See Kerner (2019) for some examples.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Court of Requests was constituted by an Act of Common Council of 1518, under which Commissioners were appointed to hear cases for the recovery of small debts. Its jurisdiction was confirmed by Acts of Parliament until it was transferred to the Sheriffs' Courts in 1847.
Access points: locations
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The fonds is arranged in three sections: Administration; Accounts; and Court Books.
Access, restrictions
The records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 2018
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Joana Rodrigues, 2022
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| London Metropolitan Archives, City of London | Collections (official language of the state) |