Wolverhampton Court Archives For 1877

[Newwriter]

Hi Folks,

Can anyone tell me where I can get access to the records of the Wolverhampton Courts for 1877 please. I have a family member who was tried there for "Simple Larceny" in 1877. Simple Larceny doesn't sound so bad and yet in the 1881 census he was in Portsea Island Prison in Portsmouth. I'm not sure if this was for the same offence or a further offence. It would be interesting to be able to read what his offence was and what sentence he received in 1877.


I would be happy to travel to Wolverhampton if there are no online records available.

Thanks


Tony

[ScobieDrom]

You could try Staffordshire Archives: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/leisure/archives/collections/OnlineCatalogues/home.aspx

[Pennines]

Have you tried looking in the on line newspapers? Often there is a description of the offence there. Failing that if you have access to Find My Past - You can search the England and Wales Crime, Prisons and Punishment Records 1770 - 1935.

You can find these by going to the A -Z of Record Sets and inserting a search term of 'Crime' (without the quotes).

Sometimes there is more than one entry for the same individual, especially if they were moved.

Other than there is the National Archives site.

[cati]

The records may well be at Wolverampton City Archives: see http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB149_T-QS_H/

Cati

[Newwriter]

Thanks everyone, as always Roots Chat comes to the rescue.

Special thanks to Pennines who pointed me in the direction of Find My Past. I am in the middle of a two week trial membership. I used your "crime" suggestion and voila, after a search by name it came up with his offence etc. He got 7 years penal servitude for stealing a coat. That sounds harsh except he had already done a couple of sentences in Wales for burglary. Hmmmm! Obviously I a rogue in the family. But much more exciting in a way than just seeing BM&D dates.

I wonder how much my great gran knew about his past when she married him about 4 weeks before he stole the coat in 1876. She obviously stuck by him though as my gran was born in 1884.

Thanks again everyone.

[Pennines]

Newwriter -- now that's what I call good timing!

Do you know if you are really, really lucky you may get a photograph in these records as well. I was helping a friend and found his criminal ancestor complete with photo -- a very portly individual he was. The physical description in the records was 'fat'!

Just another tip whilst you are on your 'trial' period -- you can search the A-Z for all sorts by simply inserting an appropriate key word -- such as a County, Electoral, Poor, Apprentices etc ----or anything at all, just to see if there are any datasets that cover your area of interest.

It's like the Card Catalogue on the Ancestry site -- you can do the same there as well. If you don't have a subscription ---I believe they are giving fee access at the moment for a short period.