Hi
Not sure which series of records at The National Archives gives quarterly returns for all prisons?
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=253Do you mean HO8?
'HO 8 1824-1876 Convict Prisons: Quarterly Returns of Prisoners - Sworn lists of convicts on board the hulks and in prisons, giving age, conviction, sentence, health, behaviour, mental state, remarks (removed, released, etc.) The Catalogue lists the hulks included in each document, and its geographical location. 'and in more detail
HO8
'Title Home Office: Convict Hulks, Convict Prisons and Criminal Lunatic Asylums: Quarterly Returns of Prisoners
Scope and content Sworn lists of convicts on board the convict hulks (until 1861) and in the convict prisons (from 1848). Criminal lunatic asylums are included from 1862.
Some returns for hulks at Bermuda are included.
Give particulars as to their ages, convictions and sentences, health, behaviour, etc.
Covering dates 1824-1876'From the beginning of the nineteenth century, government prisons were built and run by the prison department of the Home Office. These prisons housed convicts. All prisoners given sentences of transportation or a period of penal servitude - two years or more hard labour, were called convicts or in reality government prisoners. All other gaoled offenders were prisoners not convicts. In 1853, there were only twelve government prisons. Tothill was a local county prison/Bridewell - a House of Correction for prisoners not convicts.
C19th censuses give the status of those in prison - clearly differentiating between those that were prisoners in county gaols and those that were convicts in prisons such as Millbank or Pentonville.
In 1877, the county gaols were brought under government management through the Prison Commission which became responsible for all prisons in 1898.
There were fewer local newspapers in London until 1856. An ordinary person's death was likely to go unnoticed in newspapers (because there were so many in London) unless there was an inquest and even then many were not covered by newspaper reports unless they were of sufficient interest.
Local newspapers did not flourish until the paper tax was lowered in 1836. When the tax was abolished in 1855 hundreds of newspapers started up across the country and in London.
What was her name?
Regards
Valda
