Chain Book of Dublin (14th - 17th century)

This book acquired its name from having been chained in the hallway of the Dublin Guildhall for reference by citizens. It contains lists of the laws and ordinances of the city of Dublin, legal proceedings and acts, lists of prisoners in Newgate and directions for pageants on Corpus Christi. The book is on vellum and a translation of its contents is contained in the 'Calendar of Ancient Records of Dublin' available in the Reading Room.

Assembly Rolls 1447 - 1841

Inscribed on parchment, the Rolls record the minutes of the Dublin City Assembly. Transcriptions of the Rolls can be viewed in the 'Calendar of Ancient Records of Dublin' (19 Volumes) which is available for consultation in the Reading Room.

Expired Leases 1492 - 1869

The Expired Leases collection contains over 1,560 deeds relating to property generally owned by Dublin City Council and its predecessor the Dublin City Assembly. The collection relates to the leasing of premises predominately in the Dublin area but also in  Rathbarry Co. Cork, Lisboyne Co. Laois, Rathmacree Co. Wexford, Baltinglass Co. Wicklow, Taghadoe, Co. Kildare, Co. Clare, Co. Carlow and Co. Louth. Dublin City Council also leased out a number of services and privileges to private enterprises such as: the Liffey Ferry Service; farming of oyster beds on the Liffey and at Poolbeg; and the collection of city tolls and customs. These deeds are also part of the Expired Leases collection. Deeds are legal documents which record accurate information on the names, addresses and trade, profession, business or marital status of an individual.

The Expired Leases Database is available for consultation in the Reading Room.

Dublin City Staple Books 1596 - 1678

Wool, leather and sheepskins were designated as the staple or basic items of merchandize by Edward I in 1291 and could only be sold to foreign merchants in designated staple towns. Dublin, Drogheda and Cork were designated as Staple towns in the 13th century, with Waterford and Galway being added on separate occasions in the 14th century. No evidence of an organisation to enforce these regulations exist until 1530, it was known as the staple and its members were called staplers. The Dublin staple was closely linked with the Dublin City Assembly and the staple was gradually integrated into the civic administration. In 1573, the mayor of the staple was among six officials appointed as keepers of the keys to the hanaper, the oak casket which held the Dublin city seal. One of the most important functions of the Dublin staple in the 17th century was the recognizance of debts. The mayor of the staple had the power to imprison a default debtor, take possession of his goods and use them to make restitution to the creditor. Read more about the Dublin City Staple....

The Dublin City Staple Database is available for consultation in the Reading Room.

Archives of the Dublin City Staple

Tholsell Court 1659 - 1762

The Tholsell or 'Toll Booth’ was erected in Christ Church Place and was one of the most important public buildings in the city. The collection includes the Tholsell court roll noting proceedings of the Court (regarding debt, trespassing etc); Liber Querelorum (Complaints Book) which is a record of pleas heard in the Thosell Court; Recognizance Book recording name and station of the person offering the recognizance before the Tholsell court; Libri Manucaptori (Bail Book) record of bail granted; judgement Book giving summary of judgements handed down in the Tholsell Court; Book of Returns record of actions heard in the Tholsell Court and returned to a higher court; Precedent Book, a compilation of precedent and practice drawn from proceedings in the Tholsell Court.

The records of the court do not run continuously.

Tholsell Court Rolls List (PDF 233Kb)  Cannot access PDF?