Locating the Summary Courts

Abstract

In the second half of the eighteenth century the City of London was served by two summary justice rooms: the Guildhall justicing room situated within the old Guildhall building on Basinghall Street, and the Mansion House court at the lord mayor’s residence at the junction of Cornhill and Poultry. Each operated at the geographical and administrative heart of the City. The centrality of these courts was crucial, for it was their accessibility to a range of different users, and their close association to the governance of the City, that made them such a vital element in the lives of Londoners. The City’s population had little distance to travel to bring their grievances before a magistrate, a luxury not afforded to a large proportion of people living in rural areas. The very size of London — that is the greater metropolis and not just the City — meant that the level of crime and social tension was higher than elsewhere while toleration of disorder was lower, making the role of the City courts particularly important to our understanding of summary process during this period.