Thomas Fitzsimmons 1891/1901 Census

[Gadget]

The Nat Archives of Scotland would hold the criminal/prison records for Kilmarnock http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/crime.asp but they might well be held in a local records office/archives/library.

I got some from Kirkcudbright about a case and subsequent imprisonment for 1 night involving my 3grt grandfather from the Kirkcudbright Museum and Archives. Not sure where the Archives would be for Ayrshire.  Ibi would know if he would come back.


Gadget

[JAP]

http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/
As I said "I couldn't find mention of Robert in the online NAS.  Perhaps there might be something in their card index".

I certainly found extensive records (80 pages - very expensive to have photocopied) for my black sheep in the NAS in the J26 and other listings - he committed the crime (uttering and forgery) in Aberdour/Dalgety, Fife; was tried in the Perth Assizes; imprisoned in the Perth Prison; transferred to the Portsmouth prison hulks ..... and pardoned!

The Ayrshire Archives are online at:
http://www.ayrshirearchives.org.uk/ 
But they seem still to be in disarray due to moves.  Though i couldn't find anything appropriate in their online catalogue ...

Certainly well worth following up with the NAS and the Ayrshire Archives.

And also perhaps with local newspapers of the day.

JAP

[Gadget]

Ah - I misread your message JAP. I thought that you'd looked for the Chatham records at the Nat Archives 

I tried various versions of Robert Fitzsimmons on the NAS online catalogue but, like you, found nothing. I hope he wasn't called Thomas again 

Mine was imprisoned for withholding evidence - he didn't want to think that he might be sending someone to Australia 


Gadget

[JAP]

Mine was convicted in 1848 in the Perth Assizes.  Somehow he managed to get pardoned in 1852 when he was on the Portsmouth hulks - just before he was about to be shipped off to Australia.  And then - obviously disappointed that he'd missed out on coming to Australia  - he came free to Australia in 1855 with wife and children; and became a successful businessman (no comment!).

JAP

[scully]

Hi Jap & Gadget,
Thanks for your help in trying to find out where Robert was  and why he was in Prison.

Scully

[scottfitzs]

Think my family are related to this Fitzsimmons family.

My Grandad was James Smith Dunlop or Fitzsimmons on an extract of an entry from the Register of Births for Scotland and was born in 1924.

His mother's maiden name was Janet Dunlop who married Robert Fitzsimmons, a coal miner from Tarbolton. Theres no fathers name on my Grandads birth certificate as Robert died the previous year.

I then think Roberts parents were Robert Fitzsimmons who married Martha McGarry in 1876. His parents were then Thomas Fitzsimmons who married Helen Divine (not sure on maiden name).

My Grandad had 3 brothers Hugh who was born in 1921 and died in 1947, Francis and Robert but i have no other information on them and a sister called Janet who i believe married a William Dunlop.