My Ancestor was a Member of the Jury

Early Trials and Courts.

Trial by jury may be traced to the earliest Anglo-Saxon times.  Before Courts, as we know them today, came into being, the legal system ran mostly via Quarter Sessions for petty crimes and Assizes for more serious crimes.   Quarterly Sessions, as they suggest were ran four times a year whereby (usually) two traveling judges would attend a local hearing.  Assize Sessions were for more serious crimes and usually held three times a year.  Here in Somerset, this was called the Western Circuit, which as suggested, showed traveling judges visiting the area.

My Ancestor was a Jury Member.

To be a Jury Member, you had to meet a set criteria.  Firstly, you had to me male (don't shot the messenger, I didn't make-up these rules).  The Act of Parliament as laid out during William III's time (1695-6) required an annual return from petty constables of Quarter Sessions listing those that qualified to serve.  The qualification was that men aged between 21 and 70 who owned land worth £10 per year were eligible to serve on a jury.  These returns were copied into a book which was kept amongst the records of the court.  This practice continued through to about 1730.

In George II's time, the Act in 1729-30, stated "any Parish Officer, or Officers could inspect their Poor Rates, or Land Tax, and extract any name, or names, of Freeholders, Copyholders, or other person qualified to serve on juries and shall yearly and every year, twenty Days at least before the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel (29 September), upon two or more Sundays, fix upon the Door of the Church, Chapel and every other public place of religious Worship within their respective precincts, a true and exact list of all such persons intended to be returned to the Quarter-Sessions of the Peace".

Why is this Important?

If your ancestor was a Jury Member, it meant firstly that he was quite wealthy.  An income of £10 a year was a substantial sum.  Secondly, he was a very trusted member within the community who would have been sworn into Jury Service, usually after being nominated.  A Jury Member probably owned land, which might indicate Land Deeds.  He probably was wealthy enough to draw up a Will, and possibly, there would be an Inventory drawn up of his possessions.   There may be mentions of him in local papers, and he'd be eligible to vote.

So, if your ancestor served on a Jury, don't overlook this as what could potentially be a valuable source to track.  Oh, by the way, women first served on juries in England in 1920.

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