11/06/2026
COURTS, CASES AND CRIME
Thousands of Jersey’s historic court records – some of them dating back over 500 years – are available to view on our Online Catalogue.
They provide a detailed record of life in the Island across centuries, documenting everything from serious criminal prosecutions and inquests into deaths to disputes over land, debts and inheritance.
The records are a rich resource for researchers and family historians, tracing ownership of land and property, documenting personal circumstances, and recording encounters with the legal system. They offer a unique insight into Jersey’s legal, social and economic history, showing how people lived, worked, broke the law, were punished and were reconciled.
Over 25,000 records from the court collections are already available online, including thousands of wills from the Probate Division, First World War military tribunal files, 18th-century Samedi Court registers, and criminal registers recording offences ranging from petty theft to murder cases.
Our work to digitise further court collections is ongoing, including a long-term project to provide online access to depositions that include detailed and often vivid accounts of criminal cases from the individuals involved.
To learn more about the court records we hold, go to https://catalogue.jerseyheritage.org/royal-court/
Subscribe to the Jersey Heritage Online Catalogue at: https://catalogue.jerseyheritage.org/subscribing/