Getting Started
Researching your prison ancestors: an introductory guide
Have you found a prisoner in your family history or are interested in learning more about past punishments in your local community? Our new introductory guide can help you to source relevant records and trace those incarcerated in prisons between 1800 and 1914.
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Source guide for tracing your transported convict ancestor(s)
Find out how to trace your transported criminal ancestors with our detailed source guide.
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Tracing your police ancestors
Find out more about the sources available for tracing your police ancestors.
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Where to find criminal justice system records
The main historic records of the criminal justice system can be found in the National Archives and local record offices. Learn more about these records.
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The convict licensing system
Following the implementation of the 1853 Penal Servitude Act, a new licensing system for convicts was introduced in Britain, where well-behaved prisoners could be released early. Many of our criminal ancestors would have been part of this new system.
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Assizes
The Assizes was a regional court circuit held twice-yearly, often dealing with more serious offences such as murder, rape and highway robbery.
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Source Guide for Hull and East Riding
Download our Hull and East Riding source guide to researching your criminal past.
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Industrial and Reformatory School Registers
Industrial and Reformatory Schools registers contain a great deal of information about the criminal and destitute children who were sent to these institutions from the mid-nineteenth century until 1933.
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Quarter Sessions
Find out more about the Quarter sessions, which were local courts usually held four times a year in the seat of the county or county borough.
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HMP Holloway: History and Sources
A history of Holloway prison, which was originally built as the New City of London Prison in 1852 and later re-designated to became the first female-only local prison in England.
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