It is common to find an ancestor spent time in prison. This can leave behind a variety of records, or in some cases none may survive. This article will look at the potential records you may find if your ancestor spent time in a prison (or gaol) in England and Wales. Criminal offences that lead to time incarceration have changed drastically over time with some minor crimes receiving long sentences. Your ancestor may also have been charged with a crime that is no longer a crime in the country today. You may also find innocent ancestors in prison records as they were held there prior to their trial. It is worth discovering whether or not they were found guilty of their accused crime. Before the 19th century prisons were used as a place to hold accused criminals,[1] rather than using prison time as a sentence in itself. Prison records are usually held by the local county archive or The National Archives unless otherwise stated.
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Calendars of Prisoners
Calendars or prisoners list people who are being held in the county gaol prior to their trial. From 1733 the records are in English. Before this date some are recorded in Latin. The information that they contain can include:
- Their name and age
- The charges against them
- When and where they were convicted
- The verdict (if added after the trial)
- Their sentence (may be jail time, hard labour, transportation or the death penalty- again only included if added after the trial)
From the 19th century records are largely held by The National Archives. Prior to this most are held at the relevant county archive.
Transfer Papers
These documents record the information relating to those who were transferred to one prison to another between 1843-1871. They are held at The National Archives. These can provide a fantastic amount of detail about the offender including:
- Their name, age and occupation
- Their place of birth
- Their criminal background including the crimes they committed and dates of the offences
- Details of their trial including dates and sentence
- Their medical history
- Details of previous jail time including where they were held and for how long
- Record of the prison they are moving to
Parole Licences
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If your ancestor was given a licence for parole between 1853-1887 these can be found at The National Archives. Information that is supplied here includes personal information such as age and appearance, as well as details about their character and behavious whilst imprisoned. From 1871 a photograph of the convict is also included.
The record gives the name and details of the offenders next of kin, stating their relationship to each other. General details of their health and education are given, such as 'good' or 'imperfect'. If they are undertaking work in prison this is noted also, such as laundry.
Criminal Petitions
If your imprisoned ancestor requested a reduction in their sentence, you may find their petition for clemency at The National Archives for 1819-1853 or at a local county archive for earlier dates. Petitions can give a range of useful information relating to the reason for their request. This could include information about their family life back home, medical details or new information about the crime that they committed.
Further prison records in England and Wales
You may find further information on an incarcerated ancestor in the following prison records:
- Sheriff Lists- Sheriffs submitted lists of gaol inmates to the assizes. These lists are usually found in local county archives within Quarter session records.
- Quarter session lists- These lists provide names of all the people currently in prison, usually awaiting trial.
- Registers of habitual criminals- Convicts who were repeat offenders may be found in a register of habitual criminals. Details of offenders includes dates of conviction, occupation and residence. A detailed physical description is also given including hair colour, eye colour, complexion and height. Any tattoos and scars are also described. Photographs can be found for later dates. Transcripts can be seen in the England and Wales, Metropolitan Police Register of Habitual Criminals record set at MyHeritage.
- Prison Hulk Registers- Prison hulks were ships used as floating prisons. These sometimes held convicts awaiting transportation but held a range of other people including young offenders. Quarterly returns can be found for 1824-1876 at The National Archives.
- Census returns- Prisoners were included in census returns, sometimes only their initials are given.
Other criminal records in England and Wales
There are a wide variety of other records you can peruse to find information about your criminal ancestor besides prison records. These include:
- Newspaper articles- court reports are frequent features in local and national newspapers often giving verbatim reports of criminal trials. These are especially useful where other prison records have been lost.
- Depositions- these are written witness statements provided to the court either in favour of or against the accused detailing what they know about the charge. They tend not to survive well.
- Session minute books- these record the court proceedings giving much information including the names of all of those who were present and the discussions that were had.
- Maps- you can view maps of the area to plot your ancestor's criminal activity. This could feature their residence, the place the crime took place, where the trial was held and where they were imprisoned.
See also
Explore more about Prison records in England and Wales
- England - Court Records at MyHeritage
- Prisoners and Convicts at The National Archives
- Doing Time – Prison Records as Genealogy Resources at Legacy Family Tree Webinars