Wandsworth Prison inmate 1901

[Bea Campbell]

Hello everyone

I'm quite new to all this searching for ancestors and have joined 'Findmypast' which is giving quite good results.  I'm struggling in some areas, one of which is the possibility of one ancestor residing in Wandsworth Prison during the 1901 census.  I do of course want to confirm that it's actually him, but more interestingly to find out why he's in there.  I found a list of people being hung that year and he's not in it, so no notorious axe murderer in the family, but he completely disappears after this date.

If someone could point me in the right direction for finding out about prisoners of that time, that would be great.

Details of the person is: Thomas Rooney/Married/Age 30 born 1871/ Labourer Dock and born in Ireland Co. Down.

Many thanks
Brenda

[Plummiegirl]

Several options:

1: Wandsworth or Lambeth Local Archives or Family History Societies - one of these may have some records

2: London Metropolitan Archives - may have the old entry/release records (or Kew)

3: Local Papers (South London Press) may have reported the court case

4: Contact the prison direct to see if they have an archivist on site or in contact with them

Hope this gives you something to think about

[toni*]

The National Archives also have a section re prisoners, will need to look up the reference as ido not know it off the top of my head

and you could try searching the Old Bailey online
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/forms/formMain.jsp

[Valda]

Hi

Wandsworth prison registers are held by the London Metropolitan Archives. As Wandsworth was a major prison there would be men held there who had been tried in courts right across the country.
Is there any reason to believe Thomas Rooney was living in the London area at the time of his offence?

All prison records are released to local county archives after 30 years - see this recent post and the link.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,475808.0.html


The LMA's catalogue on Wandsworth prison records detailing what it holds

http://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/427/2/4/4164?RECORD

If he was tried in the London area besides the Assize Court (the Old Bailey) the surrounding counties would have their own Assize courts and all the areas would have quarter session courts - City of London, Middlesex, Westminster and Surrey in particular as the nearest. Assize court records are held at The National Archives, quarter session records would be held in county record offices.


Regards

Valda

[Bea Campbell]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.  I've now got a list of possible places to go for research.  Just a little dismayed that quite a few lead to Ancestry which I haven't signed up for.  If I'd known that Ancestry was the 'one to go for' on signing up...    but hey, I signed for Findmypast instead.

Thanks again, but further help and advice will always be welcome from the newbie

Brenda

[Valda]

Hi

Searching for Criminal records - Ancestry has (only)

Criminal Registers for Middlesex 1791-1892 and for the rest of England and Wales 1805-1892

- which will list name and offence and sentence (in earlier registers age) and which court he was tried at.

Unless by 1901 Thomas Rooney had been in prison for over 9 years, in which case it was a very serious offence, he will not appear in these indexes.


Regards

Valda

[Bea Campbell]

Thanks Valda, that's good to know.