Orleans Parish, Parish Court records
Scope and Contents
The records include the following, all of which are records of the regular business of the court:
-original suit records
-general and special dockets (and indexes)
-minute books
-deed book
Also included are records of more specialized activities of the Parish Court:
-slave emancipation petitions
-change of domicile declarations
-statements of slaves imported into New Orleans.
There is also one carton of miscellaneous materials.
Dates
- Creation: 1813-1846
Creator
- Parish Court (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Available on microfilm to registered researchers by appointment. Original documents are closed for research.
Requesting Materials
Conditions Governing Use
Reproduction or use of materials is prohibited without the permission of the City Archives & Special Collections. Please review the Archives' Permission to Publish note.
Biographical / Historical
By act of 3/15/1813 the Legislature established the court of the parish of New Orleans having civil jurisdiction within Orleans Parish concurrent with that of the District Court of the First Judicial District. The Parish Court also had the same criminal jurisdiction over slaves as had been enjoyed by the City Court of New Orleans prior to 1813.
A single appointed judge presided over the Parish Court. That officer also served ex-officio as the judge of the Court of Probates for New Orleans (this was changed by legislative act of 3/9/1836, whereby a judge was to be appointed to serve exclusively as judge of the probate court) and as president of the Police Jury of Orleans Parish as well. He was to call court into session on the first Monday of each month and to hold court until the business of the term was concluded. The judge was further allowed to adjourn the court during the months of August, September, and October, "in case of epidemic disorders.:
Following adoption of the Constitution of 1845 the Legislature established a new court system in 1846. Under the new arrangement the Parish Court ceased to exist. Its pending cases were transferred to the new Third District Court of New Orleans.
Extent
30 Volumes (30 volumes available on microfilm)
Language of Materials
English
Separated Materials
Separated court records are inventoried with the Stray Court Records Collection.
Topical
- Title
- Orleans Parish, Parish Court records
- Author
- bsilva
- Date
- 5/9/2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Edition statement
- Based on finding aid previously created by City Archives staff; reformatted for ArchivesSpace by bsilva in 2023
Repository Details
Part of the City Archives Repository
City Archives & Special Collections
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans LA 70112
504-596-2610
archivist@nolalibrary.org