QUARTERMASTER, a commissioned officer of a unit whose chief duty is the care of the stores, rations, equipment, etc. Quartermasters were mentioned as early as 1447, and were found on the regimental lists of the Army in Ireland in 1660. The former title was "harbinger's clerk," the quartermaster-general being styled the Harbinger. Early quartermasters were usually warrant officers (unless holding a separate combatant commis sion), except in the Household Cavalry, where they were always commissioned officers. Cavalry regiments usually had a quarter master to each troop but infantry never had more than one to a battalion. In the British service the rank is reserved for war rant officers and N.C.O.'s of exceptional ability and continuous exemplary conduct. (See OFFICERS.) In the U.S.A. there is a Quartermaster Corps which performs the duties comparable to the quartermaster-general's branch of the British service. In the French service similar duties are carried out by the intendance, the executive branch of which is officered by officiers d'administra tion recruited from sous-officiers (warrant officers and sergeants).
(T. J. E.) Naval quartermasters are petty officers in rank or, in smaller vessels, are selected leading seamen or able seamen, who in harbour perform, under the officer of the watch or officer of the day, duties comparable to those of a night-watchman during the dark hours, while during working hours they assist the duty officers by attending to the details of the routine, the good order of the quarter deck, the employment of the duty boats and the general curriculum of the ship's company. At sea the quarter master is stationed at the wheel and either steers himself, under the orders of the officer of the watch or navigating officer, or closely supervises the seaman who is steering, to ensure that he keeps a good course and promptly and quickly obeys any orders given for the movements of the helm.
In a big ship the quartermasters are usually assigned for serv ice in four watches. In smaller ships they may also combine the duties of boatswain's mate. The term is also used in the mer cantile marine, where a quartermaster's duties are similar to those on a man of war. In old navy days the quartermaster's duties are
described as being to supervise "stowing the ballast and provisions in the hold, coiling the cables in the platforms, overlooking the steerage of the ship, keeping the time by the watch glasses, and in turn overlooking the purser's steward in his delivery of pro visions, etc." (E. A.) QUARTER SESSIONS, COURT OF, in English law, the name for the justices of the peace of any county, riding, parts, division or liberty of a county, or of any county of a city or county of a town, in general or quarter sessions assembled ; it includes the court of the recorder of a municipal borough having a separate court of quarter sessions. The word "general" in this context is contrasted with "special" or "petty." The court is a local court of record having a limited criminal jurisdiction, and also to some extent civil jurisdiction. As a court of record it has, in addition to its other jurisdiction, power to punish summarily without the assistance of a jury contempts committed in its presence, such as insults to the justices or disturbance of its proceedings. At the present time the whole of England and Wales is within the local jurisdiction of some court of quarter sessions.
The court derived its name from the direction in a statute of 1388 that the "justices shall keep their sessions in every quarter of the year at the least." By s. 22 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925, general quarter sessions for any county must be held at such times within the period of 21 days immediately preceding or immediately following March 25, June 24, Sept. 29 and Dec. 25 in every year as may be fixed. The justices are free to sit oftener by adjournment of the quarterly sessions to another time, and even to another place, in their county, or to hold additional sessions. All the sessions thus held are "general," though not all may be "quarter" sessions. The Assizes and Quarter Sessions Act 1908 gave the useful power of dispensing with the holding of quarter sessions if there is no business to transact, and under the Criminal Justice Act 1925 there is power to dispense with the grand jury where all persons committed have pleaded guilty.