Most historical studies of English justices of the peace have concentrated on the work of county commissions, leaving the sparser records of city and borough justices largely neglected. This early order book of the city of Oxford's justices in quarter sessions illustrates the special problems of an urban magistracy in a rather special place, at a time when both university and city were feeling the strain of rapid population growth in a cramped environment. It shows, sometimes in harrowing detail, how the Oxford Bench (an unusual mix of shopkeepers, brewers, lawyers, and university dons)...
Most historical studies of English justices of the peace have concentrated on the work of county commissions, leaving the sparser records of city and ...