St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project

Listed below are related St. Louis court records housed at the Missouri State Archives-St. Louis. Copies of microfilm reels may be ordered from the Missouri State Archives.

Court of Common Pleas

Minutes, 1804 - 1816

Series Description: Minutes of the proceedings before judges of the Court of Common Pleas, Territory of Louisiana. These are the daily proceedings during the term of court, as recorded by the Clerk. Indicates orders and actions taken. Index included in volume.

Dockets and Records, 1804 - 1816

Series Description: Record of all proceedings of Court of Common Pleas prepared from minute book, showing date, term of court, officials in attendance, style and number of case, motions head, orders granted, judgments entered, all other action taken by court, and adjournment. Arranged chronologically. Index included in volume.

Circuit Court

Records and Indexes, 1816 - 1883

Series Description: Permanent record of proceedings of Circuit Court. Includes terms of court, date, officials in attendance, number and style of case, detailed statement in formal language of any proceedings, motions, judgments, actions taken, adjournment. Arranged chronologically. * Indicates those volumes with index included. Other volumes may have separate indexes listed below.

Case File Indexes, Direct and Inverted, 1804 - 1875

Chancery Court

Returns, 1811 - 1847

Series Description: This volume indexes the returns for cases heard before the General Court or the Circuit Court, sitting as a court of chancery. Chancery records were maintained separately from the court's civil files. Cases are numbered consecutively from July 1811 to November of 1845. Cases from April of 1846 to November of 1847 are listed by term and assigned numbers within the term.

Record Books, 1812 - 1849

Series Description:  Proceedings in cases tried before circuit court in chancery without jury, giving title and number of case, term of court, date, action taken, and signature of chancellor. Arranged chronologically.

Criminal Court

Record Books, 1831 - 1876

Series Description: Permanent records of proceedings of Criminal Court cases. Includes terms of court, date, officials in attendance, number and style of case detailed statement in formal language of any proceedings, motions, judgments, actions taken, adjournment. Arranged chronologically. * Indicates a missing volume.

Indexes to Record Books, 1831 - 1876

Series Description: Alphabetical index to case records in the Criminal Court. Gives case number, name of defendant, nature of offense, volume and page where proceedings and costs are recorded, dispositions, and date. Arranged alphabetically by name of defendant. * Indicates a missing volume.