Tasmania, Australia, Insolvency and Petty Sessions, 1829-1902

About This Collection

This collection consists of multiple series of court records related to insolvency cases and petty sessions in Tasmania, Australia. These records capture details on the lives of ordinary people and shed light on life in 19th century Tasmania.

Insolvency Records

Insolvency is the inability to pay debts in full. Prior to 1839, the distribution of insolvent estates took place before the Supreme Court of Tasmania. Beginning in August of 1839, two Commissioners of Insolvent Estates were appointed to hear all matters in insolvency: one for Hobart, the other for Launceston. Insolvency legislation was superseded by the Bankruptcy Act of 1870 but despite this, records for insolvency cases continue well past 1870 due to existing cases that had yet to be resolved.

The documents created in this series are arranged alphabetically by surname and can include declarations of insolvency, meetings of creditors, notices of advertisement, schedules of debts, and claims and appointments of assignees to administer/collect/recover/dispose of the insolvent's effects. Not all early documents of insolvency have survived, and in those cases the related series of minutes should be consulted.

Petty Session Records

Petty Session Courts are the lowest level of the court system in Tasmania. A Court of Petty Sessions deals, at a local level, with small or petty crimes and civil disputes. During the 1800s, record books for these sessions were organized chronologically by district and were kept in two sets. One set was kept for sessions held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The other set was kept for sessions held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. See the browse menu for details on the years included in this database for each district.

Warrants and Summons Records

These records are organized chronologically in a single register. The information recorded for each record includes date, name, whether a warrant or summons was issued (or both), place of residence, brief description of case, when returnable, and by whom served.

Informations and Depositions

This series comprises a miscellaneous collection of sworn statements and informations concerning offences that took place in the Launceston area.

The information in this description comes from the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office Catalogue.