TABLE OF CONTENTS RG 003, New London County, County Court Files
Inventory of Records Finding aid prepared by Bruce P. Stark.
Copyright © 2008 by the Connecticut State Library The first
Connecticut judicial proceedings probably took place on April
26, 1636, at "A Corte holden in Newtown" [Hartford] under the
commission granted to eight leaders of the infant colony by the
General Court of Massachusetts. In 1638, the General Court
established the Particular Court (often called the "Quarter
Court" because it was required to meet every three months).
While the General Court, later called the General Assembly,
controlled the administration of justice, the Particular Court
was the colony's principal judicial body until King Charles II
granted Connecticut its Charter in 1662. Under the new Charter,
the Particular Court was abolished and two new levels of courts
established: the Court of Assistants in 1665 and county courts
in 1666. Separate probate courts were established in 1698.1
County courts, often called courts