Small Debts Registers

In 1846, an Act was passed to consolidate the law regarding the recovering of small debts in all parts of NSW. Claims for the recovery of debts up to the value of £10 could be heard and decided upon in a plaintiff’s local Court of Petty Sessions. These courts dealt with a variety of debts, including those relating to goods sold, lodging, wages due, money lent, and assault or injury.

Our recent Archives for Everyone project has seen us partner with NSW community groups and individuals to digitise and index Small Debts Registers from Courts of Petty Sessions across the state, allowing users to search for and access these records from home.

This webinar will explore the newly indexed and digitised Small Debt Registers held in the NSW State Archives Collection, and how they can highlight the history of NSW local communities.