Prison Records

[frances]

Good afternoon,

I am helping a friend with his family tree and have come across a DC 1884 with a RCE attached. The RCA is a report into the death of his 4 x Great Grandmother. She died after being attacked by her husband. I have found a Scotsman Newspaper article on the subsequent trial and the fact that he was found guilty of Culpable Homicide and sentenced to five years Penal Servitude.

What I cannot find is any details of where he served his sentence. The person concerned later died in 1895 in The Combination Poor House, Linlithgow.

Any ideas of where to look for his prison record would be appreciated.

Cheers
Frances

[AndrewP]

Hi Frances,

Does he show up in the 1891 census? Prisoners should show up in the censuses.

Failing that, there may be prison records in the National Registers of Scotland (the part that used to be the National Archives of Scotland). It is worth having a rake round their online catalogues to see if they hold such records. I don't expect the records to be online, but they may be able to be seen (on-screen, or on-paper) at General Register House in Edinburgh.

All the best,

AndrewP

[frances]

Thanks Andrew,

Will have a look.

Cheers
Frances

[Currie]

Hello Frances,

Here's the NRS page for the types of records held. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/ ... -criminals

If everything happened in the vicinity of Edinburgh it's possible that one of the other Edinburgh newspapers carried a more detailed story, although probably not the prison location.

The NLS subscribes to British Library Newspapers, and that is accessible from home, but I'm not sure whether they have part IV which includes the Edinburgh Evening News for that year.

In the Reading Room of the George IV Bridge Building you can access the British Newspaper Archive which has the EEN and other Edinburgh newspapers.

Google News Archive has the Edinburgh Courant online, 1884 only. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8Rip7PbZ7AYC

Drop me a PM if you want the EEN checked.

All the best,
Alan

[frances]