Prison Inmates c.1871

[jourdmart]

I wonder if somebody could offer me some advice please!

My GGG Grandfather, William Charles Jordan, was convicted of fortune telling in Newport in March 1871 (he was arrested again in 1886 for the same offence). I have been unable to find any record of him on the 1871 census - would the fact that he was possibly in prison at the time of the census mean that he wouldn't have been recorded? I'm sure he would have been. If he was in jail at the time, does anybody know of any prison records for Cardiff (or Glamorgan) that are available? Not being local to Cardiff, I'm not even sure which prisons would have been open around then!

I have gained most of this info from http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs which has just gone online and proved extremely useful - I highly recommend it! Two cuttings are attached.

Incidentally - WC Jordan would appear to be a bit of a fraud and a charlatan, but he still seemed to gain the trust of the Marquess of Bute - he was apparently a tutor to the 3rd Marquess' children and even helped design the ceiling of the Horoscope Room at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute after casting a horoscope for the Marquess.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated!

Martin.

[lizdb]

He should still be on the census

However often institutions like prisons only recorded the inmates with initials.
There are several W J s who are inmates on 1871 census
What was his year and place of birth?

[wendy47]

Hi

If you have the 1871 census see if he is on  page 2 Prisoner 15 in the District -  Glamorganshire County Gaol.

I can't read the surname I'm afraid.

RG 10 / 5368 / folio 113 /page 2 down as William Charles Pondied

http://content.ancestry.co.uk/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=7618&path=Glamorgan.Cardiff+St+John.ALL.Glamorganshire+County+Gaol.2&sid=&gskw=

you can look at all the pages.

Wendy

[jourdmart]

Thanks for the replies!

Liz - He was born in Bath in 1815 (according to the 1881 census and his marriage certificate - though his death cert doesn't correlate). He listed his occupation as mathematician (ideas above his station I think!). He was married to Hannah Crump Oatway on 3rd August 1864 and they had one surviving child, also William, in 1867. I can find neither of them on the census either (see www.martinjourdain.net for details). He was a widower when he married but we are having difficulty tracking down the first marriage. It is thought (by my great Aunt who remembers talk of him being a 'black sheep') that William and Hannah had a child who died in infancy and they took on their neice (Charlotte (Lottie) Nurse) to ease the burden on Hannahs sister.

Thanks for the link to the census record Wendy - sadly the William Charles you found doesn't seem to be him (unless he lied). I wonder if he perhaps went to ground or exiled himself for a while. The newspaper cutting ends with the mayor stating that they "a warrant will be issued for his apprehension." indicating that he wasn't at the hearing and browsing the newspapers during the following month I find no mention of him.

I'll keep digging. Thanks for your help again!

Martin.