Find your Criminal Ancestors online
Posted: 02 Apr 2009 11:28
Recently the question was raised about finding criminal ancestors, one of the usual ways is to search the old newspapers online - see this for joining a library to gain access
Lancashire Library and Access to Old Newspapers
Coincidentally I was reading an article in YFT (April 2009) which had a number of links that might help, albeit many of them might refer to London, some will cover other areas in the country also.
FREE
The Old Bailey
Full accounts of the Proceedings held at from 1764 onwards, including transcripts and digitised versions of the originals. Detailed accounts of nearly one million trials up to 1913 with information on defendants, offences, verdicts and punishments. The same site holds the Ordinary of Newgate's Accounts, narratives of the lives and deaths of convicts executed at Tyburn between 1679 and 1772.
Quarter Sessions
Many publications were produced by record and antiquarian societies affiliated to specific localities or counties, so check whether there is (or was) a publishing society in the region you are interested in. A list of academic societies is provided at The Royal Historical Society Then check for the County Bibliography
Many of these publications can be viewed online via the Internet Archive Although they aren't straightforward to find, enter search phrases like record, historical, or antiquarian society and then further refine your search by adding a county name. The counties that have Quarter Sessions records covered by this site include Somerset, North Riding of Yorkshire and Middlesex. You may also find trial transcripts on this site. Also some entries for Scottish trial records.
British History Online also has references to Quarter Sessions. Use the text search to find all references to entries for a county. This site includes Middlesex Session Rolls 1550-1709 as well as London and Lancashire Assize records.
If you google the words "Calendars of Prisoners" plus the place you are interested in, this brings up a list of online resources, although sometimes only a list of what is held at the local Record Office such as Liverpool Record Office where you can search the Archive Catalogue to find Ref. 347 QUA Borough of Liverpool Court of Quarter Sessions 1724-1956 .
Your Archives seems to be a Beta Version of the National Archives wiki. Again a search using the words Calendars of Prisoners brings up a number of pages and articles.
The Newgate Galendar
Convicts Australia has many lists of convicts, absconders lists and extracts from records of those transported after trial at the Old Bailey.
Convicts to Australia covers criminals sent to Western Australia between 1850 and 1868.
Olive Tree Genealogy and Cora Num's site have a lot of links to convict shipping lists.
Capital Punishment U.K. lists all UK executions from 1735-1964 with histories of the places of execution and images of the hangmen.
Rossbret Institutions Websitehas historical summaries of prisons by county, in some cases the names of prison staff are given.
Black Sheep Ancestorshave several prisoner lists from censuses, including Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Brixton, Chattenden, Pentonville, Canterbury, Woking, Wormwood Scrubs and more.
Victorian Crime & Punishmentcovers crime and punishment in the UK during the 19th century, including a prisoner database with transcriptions of prisoner records and case studies.
NOT FREE
OriginsUK offers data on more than 5,000 people in criminal registers for Wales, Gloucester, Shropshire, Bristol and Hereford.
FindMyPast in conjunction with the Federation of Family History Societies, has Quarter Session Indexes for Shropshire, Wiltshire and a large database of British convicts who were transported to New South Wales between 1788-1842.
Ancestry has a large database of convicts transported between 1788 to 1868.
The National Archives Documents Onlinehas a searchable catalogue of case details and photographs of prisoners in Wandsworth Prison between 1872-1873. Apparently not yet available to view at TNA website, you can purchase a CD from Family History Indexes.
Lancashire Library and Access to Old Newspapers
Coincidentally I was reading an article in YFT (April 2009) which had a number of links that might help, albeit many of them might refer to London, some will cover other areas in the country also.
FREE
The Old Bailey
Full accounts of the Proceedings held at from 1764 onwards, including transcripts and digitised versions of the originals. Detailed accounts of nearly one million trials up to 1913 with information on defendants, offences, verdicts and punishments. The same site holds the Ordinary of Newgate's Accounts, narratives of the lives and deaths of convicts executed at Tyburn between 1679 and 1772.
Quarter Sessions
Many publications were produced by record and antiquarian societies affiliated to specific localities or counties, so check whether there is (or was) a publishing society in the region you are interested in. A list of academic societies is provided at The Royal Historical Society Then check for the County Bibliography
Many of these publications can be viewed online via the Internet Archive Although they aren't straightforward to find, enter search phrases like record, historical, or antiquarian society and then further refine your search by adding a county name. The counties that have Quarter Sessions records covered by this site include Somerset, North Riding of Yorkshire and Middlesex. You may also find trial transcripts on this site. Also some entries for Scottish trial records.
British History Online also has references to Quarter Sessions. Use the text search to find all references to entries for a county. This site includes Middlesex Session Rolls 1550-1709 as well as London and Lancashire Assize records.
If you google the words "Calendars of Prisoners" plus the place you are interested in, this brings up a list of online resources, although sometimes only a list of what is held at the local Record Office such as Liverpool Record Office where you can search the Archive Catalogue to find Ref. 347 QUA Borough of Liverpool Court of Quarter Sessions 1724-1956 .
Your Archives seems to be a Beta Version of the National Archives wiki. Again a search using the words Calendars of Prisoners brings up a number of pages and articles.
The Newgate Galendar
Convicts Australia has many lists of convicts, absconders lists and extracts from records of those transported after trial at the Old Bailey.
Convicts to Australia covers criminals sent to Western Australia between 1850 and 1868.
Olive Tree Genealogy and Cora Num's site have a lot of links to convict shipping lists.
Capital Punishment U.K. lists all UK executions from 1735-1964 with histories of the places of execution and images of the hangmen.
Rossbret Institutions Websitehas historical summaries of prisons by county, in some cases the names of prison staff are given.
Black Sheep Ancestorshave several prisoner lists from censuses, including Dartmoor, Parkhurst, Portland, Brixton, Chattenden, Pentonville, Canterbury, Woking, Wormwood Scrubs and more.
Victorian Crime & Punishmentcovers crime and punishment in the UK during the 19th century, including a prisoner database with transcriptions of prisoner records and case studies.
NOT FREE
OriginsUK offers data on more than 5,000 people in criminal registers for Wales, Gloucester, Shropshire, Bristol and Hereford.
FindMyPast in conjunction with the Federation of Family History Societies, has Quarter Session Indexes for Shropshire, Wiltshire and a large database of British convicts who were transported to New South Wales between 1788-1842.
Ancestry has a large database of convicts transported between 1788 to 1868.
The National Archives Documents Onlinehas a searchable catalogue of case details and photographs of prisoners in Wandsworth Prison between 1872-1873. Apparently not yet available to view at TNA website, you can purchase a CD from Family History Indexes.