Q: "I have found an ancestor whose brother appears in the
1881 census as residing at Pentonville Prison, Islington, London,
Middlesex. He is listed as a convicted felon! His
birthplace is Henley on Thames, he was 33 yrs old and he wasn't married
- how I can get details on what he did, does the actual prison hold any
records?"
Philip Wood writes [12-May-2002]
www.pro.gov.uk/pathways/localhistory/gallery4/prisons.htm
has a picture of the Pentonville treadmill and information on PRO
holdings.
Jill Muir writes [12-May-2002] One place where
there may be something (about an ancestor whose brother appears in the
1881 census as residing at Pentonville Prison, Islington, London,
Middlesex) is Jackson's Oxford Journal, which contains many interesting
things. I would think that a subject such as Murder in Berkshire
would be covered. Luckily the Newspaper is Indexed, so you need to
visit/ring first, the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies, Westgate, Oxford.
01865 815749.
Jean Debney writes[13-May-2002] It is likely
that the following sources in the Public Record Office may provide an
answer - or at least give you a kick start on the trail of finding
details of his life and criminal career through various court records,
etc.
The best sources to start with appear to be (as listed in
PRO Domestic Records Information leaflet 88: 'Sources for convicts and
prisoners, 1100-1986')
1. PRO: PCOM 2 (1770-1951) - PRISON RECORDS, Series I -
Registers and indexes of prisoners and habitual criminals.
- This also includes Chaplains' journals, burials
registers, photograph albums, minute books, visitors' books, order
books, journals, assizes and quarter session calendars and other
records relating to various prisons in England and Wales, to Gibraltar
prison and to some hulks.
- COLWELL (see below): PCOM 2 (1770-c1913) - Registers of prisoners,
Assize and Quarter Sessions gaol calendars relating to England and
Wales, with lists for Gibraltar and prison hulks; arranged
alphabetically by gaol.
2. PRO: HO 27 (1805-1892) - CRIMINAL REGISTERS, England
& Wales, Series II: Arranged by county, these registers
are similar to those in HO 26. There are microfiche indexes, arranged
alphabetically and by county available in the Microfilm Room at Kew.
- HAWKINGS, Appendix 4 (sect.4.5.2 on p.410): 1881 is covered in HO
27/188 (B-K), -/189 (L-R), -/190 (S-Y & Wales)
For further information see:
1. PRO Domestic Records Information leaflet 88: 'Sources
for convicts and prisoners, 1100-1986' [go to www.pro.gov.uk and download the
leaflet]
2. 'Criminal Ancestors', David HAWKINGS (Sutton
Publishing Ltd, 1992/1996) - Chapter 14: Prison Registers and Prison
Hulk Records; & Appendix 4 .. etc.
3. 'Tracing your ancestors in the Public Record office'
(PRO, various editions): Section 38 - Criminal trials; and Sect.39 -
Remanded & convicted prisoners.
4. 'Dictionary of Genealogical Sources in the PRO',
Stella COLWELL (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1992) - see "Prisons"
5. 'Ancestral Trails, Mark D HERBER (Sutton Publishing
Ltd with Society of Genealogists, 1997): pp.470-477: Prisons &
Prisoners.
NOTE: All these publications are to be found in the BFHS
Research Centre, Yeomanry House, Reading.
PS. The prison register and return for PENTONVILLE
Prison (PRO: HO 24) only covers 1838-1875 - probably too early for
details of Sarah's relative.
from a Discussion Group message [May-2002] In
February 2000 the Head of Personnel and Training stated "Although we do
hold some records dating back to 1842, I do not believe that they are
complete. The majority of records are the Governor's Daily Observation
Book and some staff records."
with
any queries
