The Old Judicial Archive (ORA) of the Manor of Bredevoort comprises the archives of local law and administration, roughly covering the 16th to the early 19th century (until the introduction of the French administrative system around 1811). It serves as the primary source of information regarding legal acts, property matters, and local jurisdiction in this region.
The Manor of Bredevoort included the town of Bredevoort and the villages of Aalten, Dinxperlo, and Winterswijk. The bailiff or judge held court alternately in Bredevoort, Aalten, and Winterswijk, assisted by local assessors (jurymen). Legal matters concerning Dinxperlo were handled in Aalten.
The ORA contains the registers of the judicial archive of the Manor, including:
- Voluntary protocols (voluntary jurisdiction)
Deeds that citizens had registered voluntarily: transfers of real estate, mortgages/bonds, estate inventories and divisions, prenuptial agreements, wills, powers of attorney, and guardianship/curatorship records. - Civil litigation files
Contentious (civil) cases between parties, including summonses, statements, evidence, and judgments. - Fiscal litigation files
Cases concerning excise duties/imposts and enforcement (including smuggling and collection), containing documents from the fiscal prosecutor and related interrogations and decisions. - Trial and criminal files
Other contentious and criminal cases; these provide insight into the functioning and practice of the court. - Repertories (reference registers)
Contemporary indexes of names and subjects with references to folios and deeds in the main series (including Winterswijk on the reverse side in one volume). - Guardianship & Curatorship
Registrations of guardianship and curatorship (appointments, authorizations, accounts, and receipts). - Breukenprotocol (fines register)
Violations of local ordinances and rules with the imposed fines (“breuken”).
