Assizes records

[stanmapstone]

Many thanks for that. He was married again in less than 5 years (closer to 4) so presumably got out early for good behaviour (did they have that system 100 years ago?).

There was a system whereby convicts could be released on licence, or "ticket of leave" for good behaviour, which originated in Australia . The Ticket-of-Leave system was introduced by the Penal Servitude Act of 1853. Ticket-of-Leave arrangements were repealed by the 1869 Habitual Criminals Act, except for those with two felony convictions, who had been given absolute discharge from prison. The term was still in use in the 1920s. It was replaced by being "Released on Licence".

See http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,308543.msg1907839.html#msg1907839
Stan

[Valda]

Hi

Ancestry has put online the female licences, 1853-1871, 1883-1887. There would be many more male licences than female, but the fact that Ancestry has put online the female licences might mean there are plans for the male licences, but not necessarily for later dates? The records are very detailed and from the early 1870s onwards have a photograph. They can be time consuming to search at TNA and the later ones may not be 'open' to search.


http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=10285&SearchInit=4&SearchType=6&CATREF=pcom6

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/prisoners.htm?WT.lp=rg-3150

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/criminals-18th-20th-centuries.htm


Regards

Valda

[Jeuel]

He might also have appealed and had his sentence reduced.

[Valda]

Hi


I think at this time if he appealed he would be footing the legal costs which would therefore seem to make an appeal less likely unless he had the resources to pay?
Someone with experience of historic records of appeals against criminal sentences will know more about this than me and whether it was a likely possibility and how many appeals were heard. In the Court for Crown Cases Reserved it seems very few but you could appeal straight to the House of the Lords (reading Wikipedia)

The National Archives doesn't seem to have any information on the records, but he would surely also have to present new evidence to support the appeal or argue a legal technicality?


http://www.appg-legalaid.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=63

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_Criminal_Appeal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_for_Crown_Cases_Reserved
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_Appeal_of_England_and_Wales



Regards

Valda

[stanmapstone]

The Court of Criminal Appeal was set up under the Criminal Appeal Act of 1907. Before that the tribunal of the Home office was the Court of Appeal for the review of verdicts in criminal cases. Under this system the Home office had no power, if it was dissatisfied with a conviction, of quashing it. The Home Secretary could, if the case appeared doubtful, of advising the grant of a pardon, or a remission of the imprisonment.
 Its function was merely to ascertain whether the circumstances justified an alteration or mitigation of the punishment.
Stan

[malverntrail]

This has been all very helpful. Have now gone into the library and got a pdf of The Times page in question. Its amazingly brief after the long articles in the local newspaper.

On the online archive access, I checked with the library and at present newspaper access is only available on site (and they can't even access it from the front desk computers - has to be the bookable machines), although they didn't know this before I asked! Its the Gale InfoTrac system, perhaps its because this includes more recent newspaper access too? Anyway they will raise the non-access with Worcestershire library IT.

Thanks again.