Ancestor in Parkhurst Prison

[Laurel]

I have been reading other posts from members concerning ancestors in prison and I do seem resigned to the fact that I may not ever be able to find out what crime my ancestor committed!

His name was Charles Saltmarsh born in 1824 and listed on the 1881 census as a convict age 57 in parkhurst Prison and gives his profession as a gardner / servant. He was living in Bishops Stortford, Essex. His daughter Ester was married in 1879 and these details correlate with her fathers profession on her marriage certificate. From looking on freebmd, I think he died in Bishops Stortford,as this is where the death was registered, age 73.

Can I then conclude from this that he didn't die in prison (as the death was registered in B Stortford? I also don't seem to be able to find and details about his wife and other children (if any) and what happened to them (workhouse or orphanage).

I have only just started uncovering the roots of my family tree and already am humbled from reading between the lines about how tough life was for our ancestors. Thanks for any advice.

[Kazza]

Hi there,

It is possible to find the information you are looking for.  The Home Office recorded persons charges with indictable offences in England and Wales between 1805 and 1892 in the series of registers now held at the PRO,  they are HO27.  Now you know where they are your next problem is how to get the information from them.   

There is a collection of transcriptions available to buy,  but they only go to 1828 as far as I can tell,  so a lookup from the records may be the only way.

Kazza.

[Laurel]

Thanks very much for that -I will let you know of my progress!

Incidently, would anyone know the reason why he would have been imprisoned so far away from home? I can't imagine as a gardener he would have travelled far, I can only guess that Parkhurst was as it is today a high security prison and was used for certain catogaries of offenders.

Many Thanks

[sjsbc]

Hi,

Found this on the 1861 census for essex HO/107

SALTMARSH, CHARLES, 38, piece 807, folio 93   LHA
 and on the same folio

SALTMARSH, GEORGE, 9, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, HENRY, 6, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, JAMES, 15, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, SARAH, 37,  piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, THOMAS, 3, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, WILLIAM, 11, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

This should help you get a look up.  I think LHA stands for Little Hadham, but a look up would give you more details.

[JDG]

Thanks very much for that -I will let you know of my progress!

Incidently, would anyone know the reason why he would have been imprisoned so far away from home? I can't imagine as a gardener he would have travelled far, I can only guess that Parkhurst was as it is today a high security prison and was used for certain catogaries of offenders.

Many Thanks

What normally dictates where you start your prison sentence is the area where the Court is heard.  It could be that he worked for a land or estate owner in Essex, who also owned land on the Isle of Wight. He possibly went and worked for his employer there and committed a crime that eventually ened with him in Parkhurst. Have you access to the local papers for Isle of Wight -  Hampshire Chronicle?

I would also agree that with his death being registered in Bishops Stortford that he did not die in custody.

It might be worth writing to the Governor in charge at Parkshurst and providing as much details as you have about him. There may. and it is a slim chance, be some records of him at Parkhurst. Otherwise the Hampshire Records Office may have details.

Prison rrecords are closed for 100 years from the last entry, so you should be able to access the records if they have survived.

[Berlin-Bob]

Not concrete info. but a thought for on-going research:

The Black-Sheep index at  http://www.lightage.demon.co.uk/ doesn't (YET) list Charles Saltmarsh (there is a Hugh Saltmarsh, Solicitor of London).

However, I believe this is an on-going project so if you check occaisionally , you may find him there one day !

[CarolynJacob]

I have been reading other posts from members concerning ancestors in prison and I do seem resigned to the fact that I may not ever be able to find out what crime my ancestor committed!

His name was Charles Saltmarsh born in 1824 and listed on the 1881 census as a convict age 57 in parkhurst Prison and gives his profession as a gardner / servant. He was living in Bishops Stortford, Essex. His daughter Ester was married in 1879 and these details correlate with her fathers profession on her marriage certificate. From looking on freebmd, I think he died in Bishops Stortford,as this is where the death was registered, age 73.

Can I then conclude from this that he didn't die in prison (as the death was registered in B Stortford? I also don't seem to be able to find and details about his wife and other children (if any) and what happened to them (workhouse or orphanage).

I have only just started uncovering the roots of my family tree and already am humbled from reading between the lines about how tough life was for our ancestors. Thanks for any advice.

Hello
Replying to you two years later.
Given the subsequent reply you had from the 1861 Census for Essex about a Charles Saltmarsh and a Sarah Saltmarsh, in their thirties with their children, I think I have found my ancestor Henry Saltmarsh, one of their children, aged 6 in 1861.
He emigrated to Canada where he was married in 1876, as Henry "Saltmark." By 1901 (and certainly earlier), he had changed his name to Marshall. Family legend is that the name change was due to a criminal past.
Do keep in touch. There might be a connection here.
Regards
Carolyn (Montreal Canada)

[CarolynJacob]

Hi,

Found this on the 1861 census for essex HO/107

SALTMARSH, CHARLES, 38, piece 807, folio 93   LHA
 and on the same folio

SALTMARSH, GEORGE, 9, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, HENRY, 6, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, JAMES, 15, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, SARAH, 37,  piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, THOMAS, 3, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

SALTMARSH, WILLIAM, 11, piece 807, folio 93   LHA

This should help you get a look up.  I think LHA stands for Little Hadham, but a look up would give you more details.

Having just confirmed the marriage of my ancestor Henry "Saltmark" in Ontario, Canada in 1876, aged 22, purported to have been born in Essex, this post gives me an invaluable lead.
Thank you very much!
Kind regards,
Carolyn

[Valda]

'All those held in prison were known as prisoners, but those sentenced to penal servitude (hard labour) or transportation were known as Convicts.'

It is an important distinction. On the 1881 census Charles Saltmarsh was recorded as a convict not just as an ordinary prisoner. Convicts served their sentences in government prisons. Ordinary prisoners either awaiting their trial or serving their shorter sentences were usually found in county gaols or local lockups, or were transfered to government prisons, such as Newgate were there just before they faced their trials at the Old Bailey.
The 1881 census has 7,460 convicts and 18,739 recorded prisoners.

Parkhurst was a government prison not a local county gaol so offenders there would be serving hard labour. If Charles committed the crime close to home he would have been held in the local county gaol awaiting his trial which could be in the local quarter sessions court or the assize courts, or sometimes 'Home counties' trials spilled over into the Central Criminal Court - the Old Bailey.

Local county gaol records will be in the county record office as will be quarter session court records. Assize court records are at The National Archives.

After sentencing a convict was transfered to a government prison such as Pentonville or Millbank where he would be made compliant through the 'silent regime'

http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/laworder/penton.htm

After 9 months he would then be transfered to another government prison such as Portland, Chatham or Parkhurst to serve the rest of his sentence of hard labour. If he was released early he would be released on licence. Prisoner's licences are detailed and can contain photographs.

All these possible records will be in The National Archives, except for Parkhurst prison records which where they survive, are still held by the prison service (but I don't think Parkhurst has any records for individual prisoners). Pentonville prison records for this period include some photographs of convicts.

I would read the The National Archives research guides

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/researchguidesindex.asp

Convicts and Prisoners, 1100-1986, Sources in The National Archives
and
Criminal, Tracing a 19th Century
and
Assizes: English, Key to Criminal Trials, 1559-1971

There is an absolute wealth of records on convicts in The National Archives.

Regards

Valda