Those Petty Sessions records are great reading - they are sort of like reading a local gossip column! I've been collecting them for a couple of years now and the only thing that slows me down, getting them onto my website, is I get distracted from transcribing when reading the descriptions of the offences - most would today be considered VERY petty :-) Thanks to Meg, I have a good collection of them now - all from the period between the 1850s through to the late 1870s. Here's what's online - Dunfanaghy Petty Sessions Nov 1851 - Dec 1855 - http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/dunfanaghyps.htm Letterkenny Petty Sessions July/August 1858 - http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/1858lettps.htm Ballintra Petty Sessions Dec 1863 - Dec 1864 - http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/ballintraps1.htm Glenties Petty Sessions Oct 1857 - Dec 1858 - http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/glentiesps.htm And there are still thousands of page images on my computer for these - Falcarragh Mar 1870 - Jan 1879ish More Letterkenny Ardara Petty Sessions Ballyshannon Petty Sessions Stranorlar Petty Sessions Along with the Petty Sessions are the Dog Licence Registers - my personal favorite! These are from the 1860s and name the owner, his townland and describe the dog................handy in locating people and they bring another element into the research............Milford is very good for 1866 as for a year there, they even recorded the names of the dogs! Most popular names were Captain, Prince, Watch, Lion, and Diamond for the working dogs and Flora, Topsy, etc for lapdogs. Lindel On 15/09/2011 9:13 a.m., Meg Greenwood wrote: > Have obtained a film for Petty Sessions for the Ballintra area. These > have entries of accusations between citizens and also between officers > and citizens. Brief description of offense and a notation of fine if > any. Mostly interested in the noted residence for the people involved. > I have written down a few of interest because of a surname or a > residence and decided these were interesting enough to post. Placenames > are extremely hard for me to read as I am not familiar with them, so I > apologize before you read them. Also I have a question on one involving > mud left in the road.... yes, it says mud. > > #284 - Sept 20, 1864...Bernard DEARY of Rothneny, Farmer [complaintant]. > Biddy DEARY of Faiagh [defendant]. Permitting 3 sheep to wander on his > property. [looks like it happened again the following May, read the > last one]. > > #302 - No, 18, 1864...Daniel DEERY of Rossneulagh? [defendant] Debt to > be paid to Wm Thompson, Esq. > > #334 - 15 Dec, 1864...Mary DEERY of Rockhill a married woman. Edward > DEERY of Douies? Davies? Debt payment. > > #343 - 10 Jan, 1865...Daniel DEERY of Rossnalagh? Complaint of refusal > to pay a debt. > > #346 - [missed date] Constable charging Robert BARTLEY Jr. of Tesmanum? > Mountain of assaulting Barnard DEERY of Rathkineny. 2m prison. > > #363 - 7 Feb 1865...John Ward of Rockhill, Farmer [complaintant] Deward > DEERY, Farmer [defendant]. Allowing mud to sit a road for several days > becoming an inconvenience to the public. [would enjoy an explanation of > this offense...Meg] > > #376 - 20 Mar 1865...Michael McNAMARA of Ballintra, Constable against > Bess TROWER, Widow in Pollnaranny for her allowing distillation on her > property. Given a choice of paying a fine of 6 [pounds? punts? > whatevers] or 3m imprisonment. [this must have been a really bad > offense !...Meg] > > #401 - 16 May 1865...Bernard DEERY of Rathkeeny, Farmer [complaintant] > Biddy DEERY, Widow of Faiagh. Patrick DEERY witness for Bernard. > Allowing 2 sheep, 1 lamb and 2 pigs on his pasture. Payment charged and > also a fine. > -------------------------------------------- > Hard to read in places but most interesting ! Meg Greenwood / Oklahoma USA > >