RootsChat.Com

Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: ccourt on Sunday 15 November 09 10:11 GMT (UK)

Title: Pentridge Prison records 1860s
Post by: ccourt on Sunday 15 November 09 10:11 GMT (UK)
Hello
I am wondering if Pentridge Prison records are available online for the period during the 1860s. In particular I am looking for any records regarding:
Mary Dark: who I believe would have been there for short periods in or around 1865.  I know of one date that and that is 12/4/1865 possibly for 8 days.
Her husband, Stephen Dark: Again, around 1865, I know particulary sentenced to gaol for three months with hard labour on 13/7/1865, and also 3 months 12/4/1865.
I can see on the Prov website some series but  when I look at them I just can't find the records - what am I doing wrong?  The Melbourne papers show them being charged on these dates...
Thankyou!
Caroline
Title: Re: Pentridge Prison records 1860s
Post by: judb on Sunday 15 November 09 11:43 GMT (UK)
This link (if it works!) should get you to the prison records page.

http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/PROVguides/PROVguide058/PROVguide058.jsp

Scroll down a bit and you will see the heading On Line Records.  It seems that only men's records have been digitised.  There were two entries with surname Dark - neither of them the names you mention.  You can see the actual pages but they take a long time to download.

Judith
Title: Re: Pentridge Prison records 1860s
Post by: duinnsleibhe on Sunday 15 November 09 12:29 GMT (UK)
It appears that for the male prisoners the online records only cover selected volumes so far, the earliest time  mentioned being 1868.  That would explain the absence of Stephen Dark.
http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/publications/documents/10867-P0.asp

As for the female prisoners: the only digitised records are indexes to prisoners so not the actual registers.  The registers(VPRS 516/P1 Central Register of Female Prisoners) are available on microfiche at the PROV reading rooms according to this page (http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/publications/documents/10879-P0.asp).

The digitised indexes for females do cover 1865 so i had a look for you.  I found one Mary Dark. Here are the entries for all of the Dark lastname that i could see.
register    name                      Volume     Page no.
number
31            dark, jane              1              31
31            dark, margaret        1               31
3093         dark, alice emily      6              224
3878        dark, mary ann      7              263
5247         dark?, caroline        9              284

Regards