New York State Supreme Court of Judicature (Albany) Recognizance Rolls

Chronological by filing date.

The recognizance roll is a record of the undertaking of bail, made before a justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature.

The roll contains the same information as is found in the plaintiff's declaration, followed by a statement of the obligation of the bail. A copy of the bail piece is usually found attached to the recognizance roll. The recognizance roll was the formal record upon which a plaintiff could bring an action against the defendant's bail; the bail piece was merely a memorandum of the undertaking. The dorso of each recognizance roll bears the names of the parties to the action and of the plaintiff's attorney and the date of filing. After 1818, no costs were allowed for recognizance rolls except in actions against bail; hence there are relatively few recognizance rolls after that year.

J0003J0003, New York State Supreme Court of Judicature (Utica) Recognizance Rolls, contains some Albany recognizance rolls.

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