Lass
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 436
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Hi all!
I've found an ancestor on the 1871 census as being a prisoner in Perth Prison.  I'm just wondering if there are any online records I can search to try to find out what the naughty laddie had been up to....... Can anyone point me in the right direction or do I need to go to West Register House?
Lass x
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hume
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1735
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Hi,
Have you checked the National Archives of Scotland's online catalogue? I've found a few crimes recorded about the same time period. Local newspapers would probably cover the incident too. 
Link: http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue
hume24
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fiona g
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 745
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Lass
I too had a husband and wife that commited a crime, husband sent to Perth prison for a 15mth stretch wife got off with charge.NAS record for being imprisoned given as theft and reset of theft.I often wonder what they stole.
Fiona
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Lass
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 436
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Hi there and thanks for helping!
I don't know what it is I'm doing wrong, but I have problems searching with NAS, I can NEVER find anything/anyone I'm looking for..... no matter what I do, I can never seem to find individual records and I consider myself fairly adept at this sort of thing!!!! Aaaarrghhhh!!
Lass x
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hume
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1735
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What was the name of your prisoner? At times, I have the same problem with the NAS search ... the record never appears until I'm searching for something else!
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Lass
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 436
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Thanks Hume, I didn't want to ask outright, I was trying to persevere but this site frustrates me like no other!!
My chap is:
William Crumley
born abt 1822 in Perth and residing at the County Prison (as a prisoner!), Perth at the time of the 1871 census
Any help you can offer will be gratefully accepted!
Lass x
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hume
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1735
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Hi again,
Only found two records for a William Crumley. However, he's a lot younger than your William (born c. 1844) and this one was found not guilty. The reference numbers for his records are AD14/71/16 and JC26/1871/19. Other info included is that he was a tinsmith. 
hume24
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Lass
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 436
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Hume
I promise I'll have an early night tonight and get some sleep, if you promise to forgive me for telling you William was born in 1822 when he was actually born in 1844...........  
That's my man, tinsmith he was!!
Lass x
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Lass
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 436
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Thanks so much for your help Hume! It's a tad odd to find that he was found not guilty, but is it possible that he was held in prison pending the outcome of his trial?
Can I ask a quick question? How on earth did you track this? Could I beg of you to type-talk through how you searched when you have a minute or two to spare? 
Lass x
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hume
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1735
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I think that was probably the case, Lass. His trial might have been in the process when the census was taken. It looks (and I'm only guessing) he might have been accused of bigamy; any chance he married soon before that date?
In the "Search for:" box, I typed William Crumley and put a dot in the "All Words (AND)" circle. That makes sure both words appear in the record. Then I clicked search and voila, it appeared! I usually add to the Dates from/to fields in the case of a popular name.
hume24
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Lass
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 436
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It's interesting that bigamy appears to be the allegation - this family is posing quite difficult to get to grips with and there's seems to be several wives popping up! In the 1881 cenus he's living with a woman who is registered as his lodger but whom he later marries although I can't find the record. He also has his son living with him at that point, and the son's surname is neither his father's nor the lodger/surrogate-mum-to-be.
As for the search, I swear I tried that already!!! But now I've done it again, and hey presto. Thank you so much for your help Hume, it's very much appreciated I'm sure mum will be disappointed that it wasn't something more interesting!!!
Lass x
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Oramazda
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 30
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Try the AK Bell Library in Perth; they have very good archivists and are usually very willing to help point people in the right direction.
http://guide.visitscotland.com/vs/guide/5,en,SCH1/objectId,INF50710Svs,curr,GBP,season,at1,selectedEntry,home/mailfs.html
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McNaught, Robertson, Wighton, Duncan, Dawes, Fyffe, French, Getty, Herdman, Jelly, Gourlay, Vickers, Armstrong, Ruffell.
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Lass
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 436
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Thanks for that tip Oramazda!
Lass x
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blackcat153
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 10
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Hi, just found your conversation of June 2008 re Perth Prison. (I had someone of mine in there too  !)
If you can't get to West Register House in Edinburgh to look at the actual documents (assuming they still exist in half-decent form), I could do this for you sometime, if you like?
I'm in there occasionally - yes, I do research as an occasional business, but this isn't touting for business - it would be a total freebie, unless you want copies of documents, for which they charge £2.50 for every 5 pages.
Court papers often include witness statements in the witnesses' own handwriting, etc - fascinating!
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fiona g
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 745
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi Blackcat & welcome to Rootschat
can I take you up on your kind offer of a look up at West Register House.I went to NAS in the summer looking for this info and was told details were held at West Register House which was just about to close for the day  .
I would appreciate if you could take the time for this look up and if so what details do you need.
Fiona
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