Local government and administration
Many different organisations have been responsible for local administration in Dorset during the county's history. The History Centre holds records for many of these.
Quarter Sessions
Before the creation of county councils at the end of the nineteenth century, most local matters were dealt with by the Quarter Sessions. Some of the records within the Quarter Sessions collection include:
- Records of the appointment of county officials
- Alehouse licences
- Bastardy orders
- Lists, plans and reports on bridges and highways
- Plans of canals
- Poll books
- Enclosure maps and awards
- Jury lists
- Land Tax assessments
- Militia lists
- Rolls of various oaths of allegiance etc
- Plans for various public works - gas, electricity, water and railways
The Quarter Sessions also tried criminal cases.
Listings for Quarter Sessions records are not yet available through our online catalogue. Please contact us for advice, or make use of our paper catalogues at the History Centre. Alehouse licences, bastardy orders, jury lists and militia lists are due to be released through Ancestry.
District, borough and county councils
The History Centre holds records for Dorset County Council as well as the various district and borough councils in Dorset (including the former Rural District Councils).
Core records for most of the these authorities will be the minutes (include minutes of various committees and sub-committees) and accounts.
We also hold planning records for some local authorities, as well as records relating to rights of way. For more information on these areas, please see our enquiry service page.
Many of these collections are uncatalogued, or only listed in summary detail. If you can't find what you are looking for using our online catalogue, please contact us.
Parish councils
We also the records of Dorset's (civil) parish councils. Please note there are also Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) which are sometimes described as 'parish councils' as well. The former deals with local administration, including matters like local war memorials, playing fields, allotments etc (their document or collection references will start PC/). The later is the council for the local church (references starting PE/).
Please use our online catalogue to search parish council records.
