I've been looking into the life of the man who raped and tried to strangle my grandad's great aunt in 1874. He served 20 years in prison on the Isle of Wight, and after his release he was continuously in trouble and spent more time in prison than out of it. So, there are a great many official records about him, and newspaper reports. The last confirmed sighting of him was when he was transferred back to Parkhurst prison in 1912, being released later that year. Then the trail goes cold.
He appears on the The Habitual Criminals' Registers. In 1901 the record has been written on in red ink to say “presumed dead 18/6/37” but the 1912 Register says "presumed dead 18/9/36”
Are those the dates that this was written, rather than the date he is presumed to have died? And what would prompt this annotation to old records?
I suspect he headed back to his native Yorkshire upon release, although he was said to be headed for Shrewsbury. He always ended up back in Yorkshire. His age varies on all the records which doesn't help with searching. Because I can find nothing in the records or newspapers after 1912 I have no idea what happened to him. I don't think he is on the 1921 census, but as he was always of no fixed abode all his adult life I'd only expect to find him there if he was in an institution. I've checked using his initials too. I am stuck! I have 52 pages of notes and no ending!
John Frederick Ward born 1852 Ecclesfield parish WRY
his victim survived, never married, and moved out of the area. He went on to attack more women, as well as lots of other crimes.
