British Honduras Grand Court Records, Jan. 11, 1848 - Nov. 1, 1849
(Collection 50(36))
Collection Guide
Prepared by Ruth Olivera, September 1989; revised by Devin Dittfurth, August 1998.
This is a small collection of copies of records of two cases brought before the Grand Court in the town of Belize, Settlement of British Honduras. It paints a portrait of the political, judicial, and social situation of British Honduras before becoming a Crown Colony in 1871.
In the first law suit (Folder 1), William Henry Coffin is charged with contempt of court for two letters he allegedly had printed in the newspaper, "Honduras Observer and Belize Gazette," that attack the Chief Justice Robert Temple (yet defend the courage of the "old Baymen"). In other documents, one may see teh extent of Temple's unpopularity in the resistance of many jurists to serve under him. In response, the old Chief Justice called them "scum and scourings" in a letter to the Settlement Superintendent Colonel Charles Fancourt.
The second case (Folder 2), deals with a successful attempt to revoke the findings of an inquest held by William Latham Farquharson, Coroner. It is set aside on the grounds that the inquest on a drowning victim must be performed by the Marshall General. However, the finding of the inquest may reveal a case of negligence or worse on the part of Hyde & Co. as eighteen mahogany workers were given a pitpan (a shallow riverboat) to go to Belize to collect wages. With no experienced boatman at the helm, the craft capsized, with loss of life.
There is a file of blank handwritten forms to be used for the various types of cases in the Grand Court, the Summary Court, and the Police Department (Folder 3).
These documents are badly faded and very fragile.
