Records of West London Magistrates Court, 1877-2001, including court registers; registers for means enquiries, Small Tenement Act cases, civil debt cases, ex-parte cases, and licence renewals; Married Women Act orders; bastardy orders; domestic court proceedings; maintenance registers and Guardianship of Infants Act orders.
Court registers record the date of the hearing, the name of the informant or complainant (often the police), the name of the defendant, a brief note of the offence and the decision of the magistrate.
Domestic proceedings: a married woman under the provisions of the Summary Jurisdiction (Married Women) Act 1895 and subsequent Acts could go to a magistrates' court and apply for orders which in certain circumstances would enable her to separate from her husband, have custody of any children and receive maintenance from him. Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1844 a mother expecting a bastard child or who had given birth to one could obtain a maintenance order against the putative father.