How Did Court Addresses Work?

[DaveH]

I can't wait to see the definitive answer to this one, my answer - it's all a jumbled mess Nearly as bad as Street numbering.

Well I thought I knew the answer to this one but now I agree with RichardB's comment quoted from post #2

[ukelele lady]

Well I thought I knew the answer to this one but now I agree with RichardB's comment quoted from post #2

It's easier if you have a map in front of you showing all the numbers of the courts.

Most directories like Kellys and Whites don't list people in the court houses which

makes it difficult when you're searching for someone.

[Guest Touche]

I thought I would email the archives office and see what their take on it is.....here it is -

Thank you for your E-Mail regarding addresses found on census returns.

I have asked various colleagues about how the courts and building numbers are set out and I am afraid to say basically we are not that sure ourselves.

It was suggested that with the census returns it can depend on the enumerator on how the addresses are written down.

For instance on the 1901 census Nos 20 and 26 Sylvester Street are followed by a court and then house number presumably within that court.e.g 2 court,2nd House.

Similarly No 22 Sylvester Street in 1891.

However No 47 Leadmill Road in 1891 is followed by information about the occupants presented as No 3 Court 1 Leadmill Road and No 4 Court 1 Leadmill Road and so on.

To make matters more confusing the White's Trade Directories can show Court addresses in sequence but not always seemingly related to building numbers.e.g a No 109 is followed by court 5 and No 113 is followed by courts 7 and 9.There is a pattern there which seems to be a sequence of building numbers but also a sequence of court addresses.

Finally a colleague at the Local Studies Library suggests the Electoral Rolls can be different again.

I am sorry I have not been able to give you a definitive answer to your question.

Your example of 4 Court 5 Sylvester Street would seem to me suggest No 4 Court on 5 Sylvester Street but as we have found others may write it differently and interpret it differently.

Yours Sincerely

Graeme Siddall

Archives Assistant.

!!

[DaveH]

I thought I would email the archives office and see what their take on it is.....here it is -

Thank you for your E-Mail regarding addresses found on census returns.

I have asked various colleagues about how the courts and building numbers are set out and I am afraid to say basically we are not that sure ourselves.

It was suggested that with the census returns it can depend on the enumerator on how the addresses are written down.

For instance on the 1901 census Nos 20 and 26 Sylvester Street are followed by a court and then house number presumably within that court.e.g 2 court,2nd House.

Similarly No 22 Sylvester Street in 1891.

However No 47 Leadmill Road in 1891 is followed by information about the occupants presented as No 3 Court 1 Leadmill Road and No 4 Court 1 Leadmill Road and so on.

To make matters more confusing the White's Trade Directories can show Court addresses in sequence but not always seemingly related to building numbers.e.g a No 109 is followed by court 5 and No 113 is followed by courts 7 and 9.There is a pattern there which seems to be a sequence of building numbers but also a sequence of court addresses.

Finally a colleague at the Local Studies Library suggests the Electoral Rolls can be different again.

I am sorry I have not been able to give you a definitive answer to your question.

Your example of 4 Court 5 Sylvester Street would seem to me suggest No 4 Court on 5 Sylvester Street but as we have found others may write it differently and interpret it differently.

Yours Sincerely

Graeme Siddall

Archives Assistant.

!!

Sounds like between us the Sheffield History members have a better idea of how court addresses work than the experts.

So is this "court address" numbering business a peculiarity of Sheffield?

Did you get it in other big industrial towns and cities?

[Guest Touche]

I really don't know if this was peculiar to Sheffield - it must have been chaos for the royal mail. I'll try to look at other census returns to see if it was carried out anywhere else. Back to backs were common around the country but as for courts I'm not sure. Interesting stuff!

[vox]

I really don't know if this was peculiar to Sheffield - it must have been chaos for the royal mail. I'll try to look at other census returns to see if it was carried out anywhere else. Back to backs were common around the country but as for courts I'm not sure. Interesting stuff!

Over 20,000 in Birmingham according to this Touche:

Article

[DaveH]

Over 20,000 in Birmingham according to this Touche:

Article

So did other places that had courts (like Birmingham) have the same problems with court addresses that Sheffield seems to have had?