High
Court of Admiralty Examinations, 1536-1641
Material
relating to Ireland
The
High Court of Admiralty was established between 1340 and 1360 and it
was probably set up to deal with the problems of piracy and spoil. It
was stated that as an 'Admiralty Court' it was not bound by the rules
of common law, but must administer "Equity and the Law of the Sea"
The
work of Reginald G. Marsden is the best introduction to the early history
of this court ('Select Pleas in the Court of Admiralty'. Selden Soc.,
vols., Vi and XI, 1894 and 1897)
AS
with any court, cases were heard involving plaintiffs and defendants.
Documents relating to any case, examinations and depositions of witnesses
were studied by the court or its employees and decisions made. Appeals
may or may not have been presented.
"Most
of the surviving records of the court are clasified in a series of documents
separate from civil and prize cases. This includes a wide range of material
such as commissions of oyer and terminer, warrants, indictments, lists
of gaol delivery, letters, minutes and examination books running from
1537-1776, which contain the depositions of the accused person, complainents
and witnesses. Much of the material conerns the activities of pirates
at sea, or of 'aiders and abettors'' ashore, but there are other cases
concerning theft, murder or manslaughter, sodomy and mutiny."(A
Calendar of Material relating to Ireland, from the High Court of Examinations,
1536-1641" Ed. John C. Appleby. Publ. Irish Manuscripts Commission,
1992. ISBN 1 874280 03 7)
The
following links give the surnames and names
of people mentioned in the above publication, taken from the 'Index
to Persons' in the above mentioned book.
This
page and the index on this web site is intended as a guide to family
history researchers, in order that they may be aware of the existence
of this material and the book 'A Calendar of Material relating to Ireland
from the High Court of Examinations' published by the Irish Manuscripts
Commission. Should any person find a name on these pages and wish to
know more on the details then it will be necessary for that person to
obtain a copy of this book or employ a genealogical researcher to obtain
the information they require.
