A SHORT HISTORY OF THE STRANGEWAYS MAGISTRATES' COURT
INTRODUCTION
In the early centuries the administration of justice was largely carried out by the juries of the Manorial Courts, the Court Baron and the Court Leet, under the supervision of the Lord of the Manor's Steward. They had the power to deal with many offences such as brawls, affrays, dunghills in the streets, brewing and tanning offences, infringements by bankers and inn-keepers, market fore-stallers and walkers by night.
As justice was within the power of these local courts for a large number of offences only a few Justices of the Peace were needed to exercise supervisory powers and for any further active measures required beyond those of the manorial courts.
MAGISTRATES AND THE SALFORD HUNDRED
There were usually not more than six men holding the commission of the Peace in the fourteenth century for the whole of the Salford Hundred and these men were always from the landed families within the Hundred.
The pattern of appointment remained largely the same and not until the early nineteenth century was a man 'engaged in trade' appointed to the Bench and even then only rarely, although beneficed clergymen were appointed, their office being considered to give them landed qualifications.
THE NEW BAYLEY
By the end of the eighteenth century populations were increasing and a move for the building of a new prison to replace the old Inadequate gaol at Hunts Bank, Manchester was made by Thomas Butterworth Bayley of Hope Hall, who had received a legal training expressly to undertake responsible social service and who, at the age of twenty-one was chairman of the Salford Hundred Bench.
This new model prison and court house, built on the site of what is now the car park between Salford railway station and the River Irwell was named the New Bayley although it later became written the New Bailey.
THE NEW COURT AT STRANGEWAYS
As population 'exploded' in the nineteenth century provisions for the administration of justice both in buildings and in the number of constables lagged behind the needs. To remedy this the Manchester Division Petty Sessions Court Act of 1866 provided for a new court house and a Further Bench of Magistrates.
A letter sent out to magistrates from the New Bailey on May 12th, 1868 began as follows: 'I have the honour to inform you that the New Police Court at Strangeways will now very soon be completed. I have to request therefore that you will be kind enough to attend a Meeting of Magistrates of the Division of Manchester at the Magistrates Board Room at the New Assize Courts on Friday the 22nd of May”.
COST OF THE BUILDING
"The whole of the Divisional and Police Court business heretofore transacted at the New Bailey shall be transacted and disposed of at the said Court so provided at Strangeways from and after July 1st, 1868, that at the opening the Manchester Division Petty Sessions Court Act of 1866 shall be read substituting the words ‘the said New Court’ in place of 'the New Bailey’, that £3,000 should be borrowed to pay for the New Court House and that the police force of the Division be increased by one”. The cost of the Strangeways Court House was £6,933. 0s. 7d including furnishing, the latter item amounting to £572. 9s. 10 d.
STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATE
Mr. Yates was the last Stipendiary Magistrate to be appointed for the Manchester Division and he served from 1894 until 1916. A large photograph of Mr. Yates still hangs in the Magistrates Retiring Room at the Strangeways Court.
AREA OF JURISDICTION
In 1885 certain townships were incorporated with the city of Manchester leaving the Manchester Petty Sessions Division responsible for Barton-on-Irwell, Blackley, Burnage, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Clifton, Crumpsall, Didsbury, Failsworth Flixton, Gorton, Great Heaton, Heaton Norris ( that part outside The Borough of Stockport ), Levenshulme, Little Heaton, Moss Side, Moston, Newton Heath, Openshaw, Pendlebury, Prestwich, Reddish, Stretford, Urmston, Withington and Worsley.
COURTS AT ECCLES AND WORSLEY
The magistrates for a second time discussed a request in 1890 for the setting up of a petty sessional court at Pendlebury, Patricroft or Eccles, fourteen years after the first overture.
A letter from Mr. Bailey, Town Clerk at Eccles, stated "the Borough Justices at a meeting this morning appointed me their Clerk and determined to hold requisite sittings for transactions of magisterial business at 10.30 a.m. every Monday and Thursday". Thus the Borough Court at Eccles was begun, its jurisdiction being carved out of the Manchester Division. It was not until the year 1951 when the Clerk to the Manchester Division was appointed also at Eccles that the same Clerk once again served both Division and Borough.
RESOLUTIONS
About 1890 violent gangs were operating in the area. Individuals were attacked for no apparent reason. The arrest of those concerned was proving difficult. The men who attacked and ran away became known as ‘Scuttlers’. In an attempt to deal with the problem the Magistrates considered it "expedient for prompt corporal punishment to be given to those convicted of violent and brutal practices known as ‘Scuttling’ and sought the Home Secretary's consent to that course.
In the same year, 1890, the justices had to appoint a new Courtkeeper, and did so, allowing him a wage of 20 shillings a week plus 10 shillings for cleaning.
THE COURT 1900 - 1974
 All the foregoing information relating to the Strangeways Court has been compiled from the minute book which commenced on the 22nd May 1868 and terminated on the 30th November 1905. Between 1896 and 1905 apart from the performance of their judicial duties which were considerable, nothing of any great moment is recorded.
There were for example, in 1908, some 58 Magistrates acting in the Division, and no less than eight ex officio Justices. In that year the Townships in the Division comprised Barton, Clifton, Davyhulme, Failsworth, Flixton, Gorton, Heaton Norris, Irlam, Levenshulme, Pendlebury, Prestwich, Stretford, Swinton, Urmston and Worsley.
The Justices sat once a week at Strangeways with special sessions in addition, and also once a week at The Towns Offices, Hyde Road, Gorton, and fortnightly at the Court House, Worsley.
Work steadily increased until the Strangeways Court operated three courts each day and usually including Saturday mornings, with a domestic court being held in the Library on four days each week and with Juvenile courts held on Wednesdays. In 1968 No. 2 Court was furnished with some original rather domestic type tables and chairs and the floor covered with linoleum in a poor state of repair. A scheme was produced to re-model and re-equip that court and the work was carried out during that year. No. l Court at Strangeways was reputedly the largest magistrates’ court in the North of England extending through to the rear wall of the building and incorporating public galleries at ground floor and mezzanine level. The only waiting areas for the public were in the corridors on either side of the building.
A design was produced to reduce the size of No. l Court to provide a two-level area at the rear comprising public waiting space on the ground floor and further office accommodation at first floor level.
The scheme was completed at the end of 1970 and retains the majority of the striking features of that court room.
A further scheme was proposed to lift the floor of No. 1 Court to provide a central records store underneath and to divide the court vertically down the centre to provide two very acceptable court rooms at the level of the existing higher corridor.
However, the advent of re-organisation and the formation of a shadow Courts Committee to form the new Trafford Division prevented the implementation of these further developments.
Ernest Hancock
We are indebted to Frank Mullineux, J.P., F.S.A. (Scotland) a member of the Manchester County Division, for his permission to extract notes from his research publication produced in December 1968, following his research into the history of the Strangeways Magistrates’ Court. Mr. Mullineux has kindly given his permission for extracts to be taken from that document.
Trafford Bench – a brief history
Trafford Metropolitan Magistrates’ Court deals with cases arising generally within the Petty Sessional Division of Trafford, whose boundaries coincide with those of the Borough of Trafford. The present borough boundaries came about in 1974 as a result of local government reorganisation and include parts of what had been Cheshire and Lancashire. From 1974 until 1985 two courthouses were in daily operation.
 The Altrincham Courthouse comprised two courts which were over the old Dunham Road Police Station, with further occasional use being made of the Council Chamber of Altrincham Town Hall across the road. This courthouse dealt with cases arising in Altrincham and surrounding areas and was served by the court office at Byroe House on Ashley Road.
Cases arising from Sale, Stretford and other parts of northern Trafford were dealt with at the Strangeways Courthouse.
This had, before reorganisation, been the court for the Manchester Court Bench which no longer exists.
A listed building, the courthouse had to be demolished after the Strangeways riots and sadly, all that remains of the original fabric is the sandstone entrance to the building, which has been incorporated into the newly-built chapel of the refurbished prison. A separate court office operated at the Strangeways Courthouse, but was vacated, as was the Altrincham office when the present courthouse was completed in 1985.
 A third courthouse situated over Sale Police Station was used very occasionally between 1974 and 1985. A state-of-the-art building following Home Office Design Guidelines, (the current courthouse) was built to bring all judicial and administrative functions of the local magistrates under one roof. The foundation stone was laid on 19 July 1984 by Ernest Hancock JP, then Chairman of the Magistrates’ Court Committee, and the building was opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne on 14 November 1985.
In 2002 following an agreement between the Court Service and the newly amalgamated Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Courts Committee, Altrincham County Court moved into Trafford Courthouse. This enabled them to vacate their premises in Altrincham and makes better and more economical use of Trafford Courthouse. Since the building of the Manchester Civil Justice Centre (sometimes referred to as the “filing cabinet” which was opened in October 2007), much of the work of Trafford County Court has moved there.
This prefaced the amalgamation of County Courts, Crown Courts and Magistrates Courts in England and Wales into a single administrative unit, temporarily known as Unified Administration, but later termed Her Majesty’s Court Service. This became reality in April 2005.
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The history of Trafford Magistrates’ Court in its various guises, goes back further than this site is in a position to document. Any additional information would be gratefully received and acknowledged.