The Drunk Women Solving Crime tackle the Mount Stewart Murder of 1866

So it's a typical Sunday, when I suddenly learn from a niece in Waterford, Ireland, that a book that I wrote a few years back has just been the subject of the latest edition of the Drunk Women Solving Crime podcast, recorded at the Edinburgh Fringe on September 25th...! 🤣🤣🤣

Episode 58 looks at the brutal murder of my 3 x great gran Janet Rogers, nee Henderson, in 1866, which happened at Mount Stewart Farm in Forgandenny, Perthshire, and about which I wrote a book in 2012 (The Mount Stewart Murder: A Re-Examination of the UK's Oldest Unsolved Murder Case). It's Scotland's longest unsolved murder case by a modern police force, and has a few twists and turns along the way.

Apart from the fact that there are questionable pronunciations of words such as Forgandenny and Crichton, and a recurring obsession with ploughman's lunches, I'm still very honoured to have had it featured as the main story! 😂😂😂😂

You can listen to the podcast on iTunes at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/58-drunk-women-live-with-isma-almas/id1425174819?i=1000451116871. You can also find the series of podcasts on Spotify.

The book itself, written in 2012, can be purchased from the History Press at https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/the-mount-stewart-murder/9780752460208/ in print and ebook formats.

For more on the Drunk Women Solving Crime podcasts, visit https://drunkwomensolvingcrime.com

Slàinte mhath!

(Thanks to my niece Jessica in Ireland, and to the three drunk ladies solving crimes!)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Further prison records added to TheGenealogist

The following announcement comes from TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk) concerning the records of three English prisons, now available on the site:

Search for Victorian convicts in Milbank, Parkhurst and Pentonville prison records

TheGenealogist has released over 100,000 individuals into their expanding Court & Criminal Records collection. With this release researchers can find the details of ancestors that had broken the law and were incarcerated in the harsh conditions of early Victorian convict prisons - including some that were only children!

The new data will allow the family history researcher to discover:

Over 100,000 individuals in records covering the years 1838 to 1875
Registers of prisoners inside Millbank, Parkhurst (pictured) and Pentonville prisons.
Each prisoner's age on conviction
The marital status and whether the prisoner can read or write
The convict’s former trade
When and where they were convicted, their crime, sentence, where and whence received, previous offences, when removed and to where.

These fully searchable records are from the HO24* Home Office: Prison Registers and Returns 1838-1875 for Millbank, Parkhurst and Pentonville.  (*at TNA)

Read TheGenealogist’s article “Criminal records can reveal ancestors locked up in convict prisons” at: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/criminal-records-can-reveal-ancestors-locked-up-in-convict-prisons-1122/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

TheGenealogist adds prison records for debt and bankruptcy

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk), the following collection concerns those imprisoned for debt and bankruptcy through the English legal system:

New Records Reveal Those Imprisoned for Debt

TheGenealogist is expanding its Criminal Records collection with the release of over 146,000 individuals who were listed in prison records. Sourced from the PRIS 10 & PRIS 11 collections held at The National Archives, these documents contain records from 1697 to 1862 and reveal those jailed for debt or bankruptcy.

These records will give family historians details of those imprisoned in debtors prisons including the King's Bench Prison, Queen's Prison, Fleet Prison and Marshalsea Prison. They contain commitment and discharge records, giving details of names of the debtor, creditor and attorney, along with the amount of debt.

Use these records to:

● Find ancestors who were imprisoned for debts and bankruptcy
● Discover to who debts were owed
● See when individuals were discharged

Within these records, we find John Dickens, father of the famous author Charles Dickens, who was in debt to baker James Karr by the sum of 40 pounds. John was brought in to custody on 20th February 1824 and was later discharged on 26th May 1824 when his mother died leaving him enough money to pay off his debts.

Charles Dickens had to earn a wage from a young age and his childhood experiences affected him greatly. He used his experiences as background for the story of Little Dorrit.

Read our article here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/little-dorrit-dickens-and-dads-debts-1103/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts May 13th 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast adds British regimental histories and Scottish criminal database

The latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Scotland, Midlothian, 1834 Dalkeith Census
Search for your ancestors in the 1834 census for Dalkeith, Midlothian. The collection contains over 5,000 transcripts that that will reveal a combination of your ancestor's address, age, occupation, place of worship and corresponding details for their fellow household members. If they were a child at the time, the records will also reveal the names of both their weekday and Sunday schools.

British Army Records & Regimental Histories
Discover your British military ancestor with these regimental histories. Regimental histories are an excellent resource for discovering more about your ancestor's military career. You can discover where the regiment was stationed, read despatches from the First World War and records of the deeds and achievements of the British Army. This fascinating collection of more than a thousand PDF images currently includes three publications including;

* The 1st Battalion Royal Scots in South Africa, 1899-1902.
* The Green Howards in The Great War.
* The History of the Lincolnshire Regiment 1914-1918

US Servicemen in North Devon, England 1943-1945
Explore lists of over 5,000 US servicemen who were stationed in North Devon during WW2. The records consist of original visitor books kept by the local servicemen's club. The servicemen served at the Assault Training Centre in North Devon, which was set up in 1942. It was established during the Second World War as a centre to develop and practice amphibious assault exercises to prepare for the Normandy landing on D-Day. They practiced on the beaches at Woolacombe and Saunton Sands.

Scotland, Criminal Database 1801-1917
Search this database of more than 130,000 records of Crown Office Precognitions and High Court Trial Papers to find out if your ancestor was ever in trouble with the law or the victim of a crime. Each record includes a transcript of the original document that, depending on its age and nature, may reveal a wide variety of facts. Records may include biographical details surrounding your ancestor's birth, their address, descriptions and occupation as well as details of their trial. This may include the date, location and nature of their offense, the names of their victims, previous convictions, the date and location of their trial and the sentence they received.

International Records Update – El Salvador
Over 1.1 million records from the republic of El Salvador have recently been added to our growing collection of world records. The new additions consist of three indexes of baptisms, civil births and marriages spanning the years 1750 to 1940

British & Irish Newspaper Update
This week we have added over 110,000 new pages to our collection of British & Irish newspapers. We are delighted to welcome two specialist titles, Justice – 'the oldest socialist journal in the British Islands,' and the Tablet, a Roman Catholic newspaper. We also have one further brand new addition, the Portadown News from County Armagh in Northern Ireland. We have also updated two of our existing titles, the West Middlesex Gazette and the Staffordshire Sentinel. This week we have added the years 1930 to 1938 to the Staffordshire Sentinel, with 28,000 new searchable pages.

Further information and links at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-march-22nd-2632375939.html

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts May 13th 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/coursesmainsd.php. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

English Convict Prisons and Criminal Lunatic Asylums records added to TheGenealogist

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Press Release: New Records Release

Prisoner Records reveal a criminal lunatic who threatened Queen Victoria and was detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure

TheGenealogist is adding to its Court and Criminal Records collection with the release of almost 700,000 entries for prisoners. Sourced from the HO 8 Registers held by The National Archives, these documents contain records from the years 1821 to 1876. This expands our collection to over 1.3 million individuals covering 1801-1876.

These Prison Registers give family history researchers details of ancestors who were imprisoned in a number of convict prisons from Broadmoor to the Warrior Convict Hulk. The records reveal the names of prisoners, offences the prisoner had been convicted for, the date of their trial and where they were tried.

Use the quarterly prison registers to:

● Find ancestors guilty of crimes ranging from theft, highway robbery and libel to murder
● Discover the sentences received
● See the age of a prisoner
● Find out where they were sentenced and to which prison they were sent

Read our article, “A child poisoner and a criminal lunatic detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure”.
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/ho-8-historic-prisoner-records-reveal-a-child-poisoner-and-a-criminal-lunatic-detained-at-her-majestys-pleasure-1049/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

UPDATE: Thanks to Nick for a clarification that although the records are for English Convict Prisons they "do contain some convicts that were convicted in Scotland and sent to an English prison as well. Here is an example of a John Smith convicted of Assault in Glasgow 1874 and in the registers of the Convict Prison in Portsmouth. https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/search/master/?type=person&source=&search_type=person&master_event=Court+%26+Criminal&person_event=&fn=John&phonetic_mode_fn=1&sn=Smith&phonetic_mode_sn=1&kw=HO+8&yr=&range=2&search=Search&page=5#loadwindow_-1085498429.  I was fascinated to find some convicts from Jersey (again a separate legal jurisdiction) serving time in these institutions!"

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Over 650,000 criminal records added to TheGenealogist

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Over 650,000 criminal records added to TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist has added 651,369 quarterly returns of convicts from The National Archives’ HO 8 documents to their Court & Criminal Records collection. With this release researchers can find the details of ancestors that broke the law and were incarcerated in convict hulks and prisons in the 19th century.

The new data includes:

● 651,369 Records covering the years 1824 to 1854

● Quarterly returns from Convict Hulks, Convict Prisons and Criminal Lunatic Asylums

These fully searchable records are from the The Home Office: Sworn lists of convicts on board the convict hulks and in the convict prisons (HO 8). They give the family history researcher fascinating facts that include the particulars of age, convictions, sentences, health and behaviour of the convict, as well as which court sentenced them and where they were serving their sentence.

Read TheGenealogist’s article “Criminal records of convicts on the Hulks” at: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/criminal-records-of-convicts-on-the-hulks-739/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Forthcoming events at London Metropolitan Archives

Forthcoming exhibitions and talks at London Metropolitan Archives (https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/Pages/default.aspx):

Criminal Lives, 1780-1925: Punishing Old Bailey Convicts
Exhibition runs until 16 May 2018

Between 1700 and 1900, Britain stopped punishing the bodies of convicts and increasingly sought to reform their minds. Exile and forced labour in Australia and incarceration in penitentiaries became the dominant modes of punishment. This exhibition uses the collections of LMA to trace the impact of these punishments on convict lives.

Free - during normal LMA opening hours. Further details at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/news-events/Pages/criminal-lives-exhibition.aspx


A Visit to Conservation
Thursday 18 January, 2 - 3 pm.

Meet members of the Conservation team and find out about the essential work which preserves our records for future generations.

Free - booking essential. See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-visit-in-conservation-tickets-41041084990


The IHR British History in the Long 18th Century Seminar: Sparing the noose: the penal outcomes of convicts sentenced to death at the Old Bailey, 1730 to 1868
Wednesday 24 January, 5.15 - 7.30 pm.

A significant and increasing proportion of those sentenced to death at the Old Bailey were ‘spared the noose’ and instead transported, imprisoned, or given free pardons. This talk explains how the death penalty was gradually abandoned and discusses how, and on what basis, decisions about alternative penal outcomes were made. Speaker Bob Shoemaker

See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ihr-british-history-in-the-long-18th-century-seminar-sparing-the-noose-the-penal-outcomes-of-tickets-39911625747


Approaches to Opening Up Medical Records
Friday 19 January, 9.30 am - 1.30 pm.

At this professional seminar, London Metropolitan Archives and St Bartholomew’s Hospital Archives will share their approaches to opening up access to medical records in their collections through two current projects funded by the Wellcome Trust Research Resources in Medical History scheme. More information on the Eventbrite booking page.

Free - booking essential. See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/approaches-to-opening-up-medical-records-tickets-40179235174


Training and induction sessions
Check future events at LMA

Every month, we run a selection of training sessions for LMA users to enable you to enhance your research. Whether you're new to archives or a seasoned visitor, you may still find these sessions useful!

We run sessions most months on the following topics:

Getting started at LMA
Handling documents
Family History starter sessions
Understanding old handwriting

See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/london-metropolitan-archives-2913691059


LGBTQ+ History Club: Discovering the Archive
Wednesday 17 January, 6 - 7.30 pm.

An introduction to LGBTQ+ History Club, including a behind the scenes tour, document viewing and a chance to discuss ideas. LGBTQ+ History Club meets to explore and share lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual and queer histories. Keep up to date here: www.facebook.com/lgbthistory. Contact LMA to be added to the LGBTQ+ email list

Free - drop in session. See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lgbtq-history-club-discovering-the-archive-tickets-41040925513

(With thanks to LMA)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Fife criminal and electoral records added to Ancestry

Two collections concerning the county of Fife have been added to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

Fife, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1914-1966
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61432
Source: Fife Electoral Registers, Fife Library and Archives Service, Fife, Scotland

About Fife, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1914-1966

This database contains yearly registers listing names and residences of people in Fife, Scotland, who were eligible to vote in elections. These year-by-year registers can help place your ancestors in a particular place and possibly also reveal a bit about property they owned.

Please note that coverage for these burghs is incomplete:

Kilrenny, Anstruther Easter and Anstruther Wester Burgh, 1939 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Burntisland 1934 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Crail, 1939 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Culross, 1934-1937 and from 1950 onwards
City and Royal Burgh of Dunfermline from 1958 onwards
Royal Burgh of Inverkeithing from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Kinghorn from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Kirkcaldy from 1956 onwards
Burgh of Lochgelly 1914 and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of Pittenweem- 1939, and from 1950 onwards
Royal Burgh of St Andrews 1918,1932-1939, and from 1950 onwards


Fife, Scotland, Criminal Registers, 1910-1931
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61426
Source: Fife Criminal Registers, Fife Library and Archives Services, Fife, Scotland.

For each individual found within the report, you may be able to find (where available):

Name
Age at time of incarceration
Birth Place
The Nature of the Crime
Conviction Date
Conviction Place
Sentence
A photograph of the individual and/or a Physical Description


Also released are student records from London, England:

UK, University of London Student Records, 1836-1945
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61488
Source: The University of London Archive

Further information on the collection is available via the stated link. Note that "During the 19th and early 20th centuries, students who attended other institutions took University of London examinations as external students. Included in these lists, therefore, are students who attended the predecessor institutions of universities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Dundee, Heriot-Watt, Southampton, Exeter, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Surrey, Queen’s University Belfast, and University College Dublin."

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Rogues Gallery crime exhibition at NRS Edinburgh

In partnership with Edinburgh City Archives, the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk) is hosting an exhibition from October 25th - December 1st 2017 entitled Rogues Gallery: Faces of Crime 1870-1917.

The exhibition will include the case papers from the trial of poisoner Eugène Chantrelle, as well as photographs and records documenting the development of the use of forensic photography in criminal investigations.

The exhibition will be in the Matheson Dome at General Register House, Edinburgh, with admission free. Further details are available at https://blog.nrscotland.gov.uk/2017/10/17/rogues-gallery-faces-of-crime-1870-1917/. 

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Digital Panopticon: London convicts database project

News of a new British convicts database at https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/:

NEW, FREE HISTORY WEBSITE TRACES LIVES OF TRANSPORTED AND IMPRISONED BRITISH CONVICTS

Family historians, teachers, crime writers and academics can follow the lives of people convicted and transported to Australia or imprisoned in Britain using a vast, new, free online resource.

The Digital Panopticon website draws on over four million records to allow users to uncover how punishment affected the lives of 90,000 individuals convicted of crimes at the Old Bailey between 1780 and 1925, including those uprooted by the UK criminal justice system to carry out their sentence in the British Empire’s then newly established penal colonies in Australia.

By providing a wide range of search fields, including name, year and place of birth, criminal record, height, eye and hair colour, among others, it is possible to compare the impact of transportation and imprisonment on reoffending, desistence, family lives and health.

The free website also allows users to search by group, such as those convicted of a certain crime, and then download entire data sets for analysis.

Researchers have discovered that:

• Many convicts did not serve the punishments as originally laid out, including many sentenced to transportation that never left Britain
• British convicts that were transported to Australia tended to desist from offending once married with children.
• Children born to transported convicts were healthier and taller than those born to convicts imprisoned in Britain.
• A dramatic increase in record-keeping during the 19th century became a new form of state control over the criminal.

Project lead, Professor Barry Godfrey, a social historian at the University of Liverpool, said: “The amount of information is staggeringly huge, it’s a resource the likes of which we have never had before.

“It is one of the largest genealogical resources and one of the first to catalogue in chronological order so users can follow the whole life of a person.”

Professor Bob Shoemaker, at the University of Sheffield, said: “Combining extraordinarily rich records with the latest digital humanities methodologies, this free resource demonstrates the impact of punishment on health, family circumstances and future patterns of offending, with clear relevance to contemporary penal regimes.”

Tim Hitchcock, Professor of Digital History at the University of Sussex, said: “The Digital Panopticon helps us understand history from below in a new way – from the perspective of the hundreds of thousands of working people caught up in a global system of policing, punishment and empire.

“The material reveals the lived experience of trial and imprisonment. It really does change our understanding of the history of criminal justice, particularly the importance of both the criminal trial and plea bargaining to the system’s evolution.”

Professor Deborah Oxley, at the University of Oxford, said: “Social and economic history has entered a new era.

“Mass biography, connecting multifarious records across individual lives, offers new opportunities for understanding the past. Gaze afresh at the birth of the modern criminal justice system, as it journeyed from death and transportation to detention, from inside this Digital Panopticon.”

Professor Hamish Maxwell-Stuart, at the University of Tasmania, said: “The Digital Panopticon site will provide access to many records hitherto unavailable to Australian based researchers.

“It will prove a particularly important resource for family historians, enabling them to track the lives of the men and women sentenced in the Old Bailey to ‘leave their country for their country’s good’.”

The website forms part of the wider Digital Panopticon project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and has been developed by the University of Liverpool, University of Sheffield, University of Oxford, University of Sussex and University of Tasmania in Australia. The technical work, including data assembly, record linkage, and website creation was carried out by the Digital Humanities Institute at the University of Sheffield.

The new resource also includes data from genealogy sites Find My Past and Ancestry, as well as the National Archives and record collections in Australia. Users of the Digital Panopticon are able to see if additional materials related to their research are available in these external sources.

The website is online at https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/
Convict life stories can be read here: https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convict_Lives

(With thanks to Matt Hurst at the University of Liverpool)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Bedfordshire petty session and land records on Ancestry

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added three new collections which may be of interest to those with Bedfordshire connections:

Bedfordshire, England, Petty Sessions, 1854-1915
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61345
Source: Bedfordshire Petty Sessions, Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

Petty sessions were the lowest tier in the court system and usually involved cases such as drunkenness or minor theft. They were presided over by magistrates and did not involve a jury.
Details for each individual recorded in this collection may include (where available):

• Name
• Role in the case
• Date of the hearing
• Location of the court

Please scroll right to see the fines or punishment given to the defendent(s).


Bedfordshire, England, Land Tax Records, 1797-1832
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61321
Source: Bedfordshire Land Tax Records, Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

Details found within this collection include (where available):

• Year of Residence
• Given Name and Surname of Occupier
• Given Name and Surname of Owner
• Parish of Residence

Parts of this description have been taken from the Bedfordshire Archive website. You can find out more about their collections at http://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/GuidesToCollections/GuidesToCollections.aspx.


Bedfordshire, England, Valuation Records, 1838-1929
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61323
Source: Bedfordshire Valuation Records, Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

Details found within this collection include (where available):

• Year of Residence
• Given Name and Surname of Occupier
• Given Name and Surname of Owner
• Parish of Residence

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Donegal outrages and bribery in Hull added to The Original Record

Latest additions to The Original Record (www.theoriginalrecord.com) website:

1799
Lodging House and Boarding House Keepers in Bath
A list of all the lodging and boarding houses in the city of Bath, street by street, with house numbers. 'The general price of Lodgings from the first of September to the 31st of May is 10s. 6d. a week for the best rooms, and 5s. 6d. for servant's rooms; the other three months, viz. June, July, and August, 7s. 6d. a week for the best rooms, and 5s. 6d. a week for servant's rooms.'

1851-1861
Victims of Outrages: Kilmacrenan barony, county Donegal
Return of outrages specially reported by the constabulary as committed within the barony of Kilmacrenan, county Donegal: giving date of the offence; parish and townland; name and class of the injured person; nature of the offence; number of persons arrested; and whether conviction was had or not.

1854
Bribers and Bribed in Hull
A Bill for the Prevention of Bribery in the Election of Members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Kingston-upon-Hull, passed 11 April 1854, stated that a commission of inquiry 30 August 1853 had found that over a hundred voters were bribed at one or more of the elections for the borough in 1841, 1847 and 1852: the names of those bribed, and those who gave the bribes, were listed in the bill, and all those persons were disqualified from any future parliamentary elections for the borough.

1854-1855
Assaults on Women and Children: Bow Street, Hammersmith and Lambeth
The return, under 16 & 17 Vict. c. 30 of offenders convicted of aggravated assaults upon women and children: giving date of conviction, full name of offender, and sentence.

1870
London University Matriculation List
The matriculation list of the University of London published in January 1870 shows all the students entering the university 1865 to 1869, but who had not yet taken an examination. The alphabetical list gives full name, surname first; year of matriculation; and the name of the school or college (or private study or the name of a tutor) of previous education.

(With thanks to The Original Record)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Irish Police Gazettte 1861-1893 records on Ancestry

Ancestry has released a new collection, Ireland, Police Gazettes, 1861-1893, available at http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61046.

From the site:

About Ireland, Police Gazettes, 1861-1893

This collection contains printed publications used for communication among members of the police force in Ireland between 1861 and 1893. It contains information on wanted criminals, crimes committed, criminals who had been apprehended, and missing persons.

The collection can be searched by:

Name
Birth year
Publication year
Event year
Event location
Event Type
Role in Crime
Conviction Place


Ancestry has written a blog post about the collection at http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2016/08/22/wanted-criminals-and-reward-systems-revealed-in-new-irish-police-gazette-records/.

NB: In terms of coverage, the collection is very incomplete, with coverage for some years very hit and miss, and in some cases absent altogether. It starts in February 15th 1863, with no records at all then from 1864-1865, 1867-1869, 1872-1873, or 1881. Within the years presented, a quick search test has shown that in the year 1870, there are only six pages in total, whilst only 3 pages are returned for 1871, 5 for 1875 etc, so some years are very well represented, and some not at all. This is not Ancestry's fault, it has merely digitised the source as presented, which comes from Luminary Trading Ltd. Nevertheless, for what is available, you may find a useful gem.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

English and Welsh criminal records added to FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com) has added a third phase to its English and Welsh criminal records datasets. From the site's blog:

England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935

Over 2.5 million new records have been added to our England and Wales, Crime, Prisons and Punishment collection, released in partnership with The National Archives. The records contain the details of felons who passed through the criminal justice system in England and Wales between 1770 and 1935, and can reveal the exact nature of the individual's crime, where and when the offence was committed, as well as the sentence they received. Many records also include physical descriptions, petitions for clemency, reports on behavior, health and education and photographic mug shots. The details of victims and government officials working within the penal system can also found within the collection.

The new additions are taken from eight substantial and widely varied records series held by The National Archives at Kew. England & Wales, Crime, Prisons and Punishment now contains over 5.5 million transcripts, all accompanied by scanned images of the original documents, and is the largest collection of crime and punishment records available online.

The collection is searchable at http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/england-and-wales-crime-prisons-and-punishment-1770-1935 (it can also be browsed). Source details are available on that page also.

Also released:

* Britain, Chronicles of Crime or the New Newgate Calendar, vols I & II, pub 1841
* Tasmania Convict records 1800-1893

Further details at https://blog.findmypast.com/findmypast-friday-july-22nd-2016-1949005591.html

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Latest additions to The Original Record

The following have been added to The Original Record (www.theoriginalrecord.com):

1715
French Pensions of the English Civil List
A list of French pensions of the Civil List, as of 10 May 1715, giving full name and daily allowance.

1735
Inhabitants of the Isle of Portland, Dorset
An earthquake on 16 December 1735 'was felt near the Quarrys at the North End of the said Island by which the Earth for more than a mile in length sunk away from the Clift near the Sea and carry’d with it the Way leading to the Piers, Overturned the said Piers, and broke and destroyed the Crane thereon, so that at present it is impossible to carry down from the Quarry’s or to Ship Stone as formerly, by which means his Majesty will loose entirely the Revenue of fourpence per pr Tunn paid by all persons who Shipped Stone off the said Piers': this petition to the Treasury Commissioners, signed by the inhabitants of Portland, prayed 'that your Honour’s will take this Unhappy Circumstance into your Consideration and Order that the same may be Repaired fit for Shipping Stone as formerly'. T 1/288 f.167

1768
Governors and Guardians of the Foundling Hospital, London
This list of the governors and guardians of the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children, incorporated by royal charter 17 October 1739, is corrected to 30 March 1768.

1803
Heritors of Fife
A list of the principal heritors of the shire of Fife, compiled from the roll of the court of freeholders, and from private information, by sir Robert Sibbald; also including (marked f.) the names of those whose valued rent was known to entitle them to vote for the representative of the county in parliament, although from the present possessors being minors or females, they were not on the roll of freeholders.

1835
Masters of Wrecks
The losses of eighty British ships from late August 1835 to late January 1836 were reported at Lloyd's: this table gives the vessels' names; masters' names; where from; where headed; where wrecked; on what date; and what became of the crew - saved, lost, or abandoned ship.

1857
Liverpool Criminals and their Victims
Sentences at the Liverpool Borough Sessions in August 1857.

1901
Managers and Under-Managers of Mines
First Class Certificates of Competency as Mine Managers granted during the year 1901 (including some granted on 2 January 1902 following the Manchester and Ireland District Examination held late in December 1901. Full names are given, surname first, district in which examined, date of certificate, and number of certificate.

(With thanks to The Original Record)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Latest additions to The Original Record

New additions to The Original Records (www.theoriginalrecord.com):

Added this week:

1725
Citizens of London
A list of the persons who polled for Charles Goodfellow esquire at the late election for a member of parliament to represent the city of London, held 23rd to 28th November 1724. Full names are given, surname first, arranged by the livery companies to which the citizens belonged. This list was published in The Daily Post and elsewhere: 'Gentlemen, we desire you will carefully examine the following list of polsters, and in case you find yourselves or friends polled by others, or any polled who are dead or absent, or who have no right, that you'll give immediate notice thereof at Salter's Hall in Swithin's Lane, where attendance will be daily given from 8 a-clock in the morning till 9 a-clock at night. It is not doubted but the endeavours to obtain a law to secure your invaded rights and privileges will be soon successful, this should now excite you to a diligent search after false pollers, which will in all probability make the majority greater for sir Richard Hopkins. N.B. The scrutineers so far as they have proceeded, do find a much greater number of false pollers for Mr Goodfellow, than for sir Richard Hopkins.'

1789
Coggeshall, Essex, Owners and Occupiers
The rental of the copyhold and freehold estates held of the manor of Coggeshall or Coggeshall Hall, gives for each holding the annual rent; the name of the owner of the estate at Michaelmas 1789; the name(s) of the occupier(s) at that time; and a description of the copyhold premises.

1824
Deaf and Dumb Children
At a general meeting of the committee of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, London, held 12 July 1824, fifteen boys and fifteen girls were elected for admission.

1830
Sentenced to Death, Transportation or Imprisonment at Gloucester Assizes
31 prisoners were sentenced to death at Gloucester Assizes in April 1830; 11 to seven months' transportation; 36 to various terms of imprisonment; 23 were acquitted; four admitted King's Evidence; and against three the bills were ignored.

1833
Visitors to Buxton, Derbyshire
The Derby Mercury of 14 August 1833 carries this list of arrivals at Buxton.

1861-1905
Women Students Entering Stockwell Teacher Training College
This list, revised to August 1908, gives the student's name and her then address (if known); the Remarks column indicates whether she left the course early; left the profession; went abroad; died; became a headmistress; and/or married: married name is often given.

1898
Subscribers to the History of Wisbech
Frederic John Gardiner's 'History of Wisbech and Neighbourhood during the last Fifty Years, 1848-1898' attracted a subscription list, mainly from the immediate vicinity of Wisbech.

(With thanks to The Original Record)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

The Original Record updated

The following additions have been made to The Original Record (www.theoriginalrecord.com):

1784
Customs Officer: Berwick on Tweed
An account of the gross salaries, fees, allowances and gratuities received by the officers of the customs and their deputies at the Out Ports; by what authority they are appointed; with their payments for taxes, deputies, clerks and other contingent expenses.

1803
Subscribers to Immateriality &c.
'An Original Essay on the Immateriality and Immortality of the Human Soul, founded solely on Physical and Rational Principles', by S. Drew, published in Bristol in 1803, attracted a numerous subscription, almost exclusively from Cornwall.

1838
Kilkenny Cess Payers
Panels of twelve cess-payers were chosen from each of the ten baronies of county Kilkenny, to be associated with the justices at special sessions, under 6 & 7 William IV cap. 116. Spring Assizes, 1838.

1863
The Loss of the Lord Raglan: Passengers and Crew
The Lord Raglan sailed from Liverpool with emigrants for Melbourne 23 February 1863. The ship was last spoken on 24 March 1863 in the Atlantic just north of the equator. Neither the ship nor any of the crew or passengers were heard of again: there was a report that a fire had been seen in her direction.

1868
Mercantile Marine Service Association
List of members and Associates of the Mercantile Marine Service Association, based in Liverpool: a indicates associate, c captain, and m mate.

1884
Criminals Fined or Imprisoned
Henry Romeike compiled this list of 800 cases, reported in the newspapers in March and April 1884, in which criminals were fined or imprisoned. The list is arranged by nature of the fine or length of sentence, divided into two groups: offences against property, and those against the person. The compilation was published by D. H. Macfarlane, M.P., to contrast the severity of sentences for theft of trivial property, as against relatively light punishments for assaults: it gives the full name of the criminal, brief details of the crime, and the name and date of the newspaper report.

1935
Picture Judging Competition Prizewinners
The 'Help Yourself' Society, inaugurated by The Stock Exchange Dramatic & Operatic Society, organized a picture judging competition for their Christmas Charity Fund, 1935. Of the thousands of entries received, 3,377 were awarded prizes, and there were also some consolation prizes. The prize list gives number (in order of merit), name and address.

(With thanks to The Original Record)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Glasgow's Duke Street Prison

There's an interesting article on the University of Glasgow Library blog at https://universityofglasgowlibrary.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/town-plan-of-glasgow-duke-street-prison/ concerning Duke Street Prison, which used to exist in the centre of Glasgow from 1798-1955. Well worth a read!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

FindmyPast releases English and Welsh criminal records datasets

The following is an abridged press release from FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

1.9 Million Historic Criminal Records Spanning Over 150 Years Published Online for the First Time:

• Wide Variety of Victims and Perpetrators Revealed Ranging from Petty Crooks to Infamous Assassins and Serial Poisoners
• Over 1.9 million new records from Findmypast.co.uk shed light on 150 years of crime
• Available online for the first time, these records from The National Archives provide fascinating details of the crimes, punishment and prison standards in England and Wales
• Spanning 1779-1936, the records allow you to discover villains and victims in your family history and piece together their journey through the criminal system

London, UK, 29 June, 2015 – Leading family history website FindmyPast.co.uk has today released over 1.9 million digitised crime and punishment records in association with The National Archives. FindmyPast’s collection is now the biggest online set of crime records, with a total of almost 3 million crime and punishment records available online.

The records, covering 1779-1936, reveal many ordinary and extraordinary stories of criminals, victims and law enforcers from the criminal history books. The records include mugshots and coloured images of historical records, as well as detailed accounts of Victorian serial killers, notorious executioners, and the only assassination of a British Prime Minister.

“These new records offer a unique insight into the country’s criminal past. Whether villain or victim, anyone can now discover whether their family tree contains any hidden “black sheep” or victims, from their very own home at the touch of a button. Offering unrivalled detail and content, the records now online make it possible today to trace criminals through the justice systems from details of their arrest to punishment and rehabilitation,” said Myko Clelland, historian at Findmypast.co.uk.

Caroline Kimbell, Head of Licensing at The National Archives said: “We have worked with Findmypast to digitise this fascinating collection of historic criminal and prison records held here at The National Archives, Kew, making them available online for the very first time. The personal records for those locked up can be heart-breaking, especially those of child convicts. They shed light not just on individual family stories, but on a long history of crime and punishment in England.”

The records released today include records from criminal lunatic asylums, Central Criminal Court, prison registers and the Newgate Prison calendar among many others. The release marks the beginning of Findmypast’s Crime & Punishment month: four weeks of records, guides and stories to help you discover your family’s criminal history. Full details of the content released today and throughout the rest of the month can be found at www.findmypast.co.uk/crime-prisons-punishment.

COMMENT: The press release, as is often the case from FindmyPast, does not list the sources at TNA, but a browse of the England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935 page at http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/england-and-wales-crime-prisons-and-punishment-1770-1935 reveals that the following record sets are now available:

• Admiralty: registers of convicts in prison hulks (TNA Ref: ADM 6)
• Central Criminal Court: after-trial calendars of prisoners (TNA Ref: CRIM 9)
• Home Office: Convict Hulks, Convict Prisons and Criminal Lunatic Asylums: Quarterly Returns of Prisoners 1824-1876 (TNA Ref: HO 8)
• Home Office: Criminal Entry Books 1782-1871 (TNA Ref: HO 13)
• Home Office: criminal petitions Series 1 (TNA Ref: HO 17)
• Home Office: criminal petitions Series 2 (TNA Ref: HO 18)
• Home Office: Register of criminal petitions (TNA Ref: HO 19)
• Home Office: Registers of Prisoners from National Prisons lodged in County Prisons 1847-1866 (TNA Ref: HO 23)
• Home Office: Prison Registers and Statistical Returns 1838-1875 (TNA Ref: HO 24)
• Home Office: Judges’ Reports on Criminals 1784-1830 (TNA Ref: HO 47)
• Home Office: Newgate Prison Calendar 1782-1853 (TNA Ref: HO 77)
• Home Office: Miscellaneous Criminal Books 1798-1831 (TNA Ref: HO 130)
• Home Office: calendar of prisoners (TNA Ref: HO 140)
• Home Office and Prison Commission: prison records (TNA Ref: PCOM 2)
• Home Office and Prison Commission: Male Licences 1853-1887 (TNA Ref: PCOM 3)
• Home Office: Old Captions and Transfer Papers 1843-1871 (TNA Ref: PCOM 5)
• Metropolitan Police: Criminal Record Office: habitual criminals' registers and miscellaneous papers (TNA Ref: MEPO 6)

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Crime and Society talks at PRONI

From the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.proni.gov.uk):

PRONI is pleased to announce that we are hosting a 5 part lecture series on Crime and Society throughout the month of October.

This lecture series starts at 1pm on Thursday the 1st of October and runs every Thursday throughout the month.

1st October - 19th Century Prison Records, by Chris Colvin
8th October - The Women's Suffrage Campaign, by Margaret Ward
15th October - Female Political Imprisonment during the Irish Civil War, by Laura McAtackney
22nd October - DeLoran: Back to the Failure, by Graham Brownlow
29th October - NIGRA & Decriminalisation, by Jeff Dudgeon & Richard Kennedy

Contact PRONI at www.proni.gov.uk/index/contact_us.htm to reserve a place.

(With thanks to the PRONI Express)

Chris

The latest British GENES podcast is available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/podcasts.html. For details on my latest book Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, and my other genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.