Hi Trudi,
I have searched the prison registers for you (held by the National archives in Edinburgh) and here is a transcription of Archibald’s entry:
Prison Register Transcription
Dumfries Prison 1861
(National Archives Reference HH21/49/3)
Number: 2559
Date of Admission: March 18 1861
By whom Committed: Bailie Carruthers
Previous Imprisonments: 2
Last Current Number: 1706
Name: Archibald O’Neil
Age: 23
Sex: [blank]
Height: 5 feet 2 inches
Married: Married
Where Born: Belfast
Late Residence: Dumfs.
Where spent greater part of life: Dumfs.
Weight in pounds on Admission: 116
Weight on pounds on Liberation: 118
Marks: Fh. [fresh complexion]; P.P. [Pock pitted]; Dk. Bn. [dark brown hair]; Be. [blue eyes]
Offence: Theft of a Dog
Ordinary Occupation: Tinsmith
Religion: R. C. [Roman Catholic]
Education on Admission: Cannot read; Cannot write
Apparent State of Health on Admission: [blank]
Tried –
Date: March 20
By whom: Bailie Carruthers
Convicted or Acquitted: Convicted
Sentence: 30 days H. L. [hard labour]
Liberated or Removed after Conviction –
Date: Apl. 19
By whose Authority: Time expired
Number of Days in Prison: 30
Conduct in Prison: Good
We are actually going to index the Dumfries prison registers as we have already done for the Scottish Borders (www.maxwellancestry.com/prison) so we’ll be able to find our ancestors who were in prison between census years too. I love these records, where else can you find out how much somebody weighed in 1861! Oh here is a link to a more printer friendly PDF of the Transcription: www.maxwellancestry.com/prison/prisonrecord.pdf
Hope you find it interesting,
Emma
Hi Trudi, Donna and Gazania,
Here are the relevant transcriptions from the prison register of Dumfries. As I mentioned an index to the prison registers will be available from www.maxwellancestry.com in the near future. At the moment we do have a free prison index online covering many Scottish Borders prison registers.
Prison Register Transcription
Dumfries Prison 1857
(National Archives Reference HH21/49/3)
Number: 1622
Date of Admission: Feby. 25 1857
By whom Committed: Bailie Payne
Previous Imprisonments: [none]
Name: Archibald O’Neil
Age: 16
Sex: [blank]
Height: 5 feet 0 inches
Married: Single
Where Born: Belfast
Late Residence: Maxwelltown
Where spent greater part of life: Dumfs.
Weight in pounds on Admission: 112
Weight on pounds on Liberation: 112
Marks: Fh. [fresh complexion]; P.P. [Pock pitted]; Dk. Bn. [dark brown hair]; Be. [blue
eyes]; scar on left side of nose
Offence: Mal[icious] Mischief (breaking glass)
Ordinary Occupation: Tinsmith
Religion: R. C. [Roman Catholic]
Education on Admission: Cannot read; Cannot write
Apparent State of Health on Admission: [blank]
Tried –
Date: Feb. 25
By whom: Bailie Payne
Convicted or Acquitted: Convicted
Sentence: 7/- Fine or 7 days
Liberated or Removed after Conviction –
Date: Mar. 4
By whose Authority: Time expired
Number of Days in Prison: 7
Conduct in Prison: Good
Prison Register Transcription
Dumfries Prison 1857
(National Archives Reference HH21/49/3)
Number: 1706
Date of Admission: June 29 1857
By whom Committed: Justice of Peace
Previous Imprisonments: 1
Last Current Number: 1622
Name: Archibald O’Neil
Age: 19
Sex: [blank]
Height: 5 feet 0 inches
Married: Married
Where Born: Belfast
Late Residence: Stranraer
Where spent greater part of life: Dumfries
Weight in pounds on Admission: 98
Weight on pounds on Liberation: 103
Marks: Fh. [fresh complexion]; P.P. [Pock pitted]; Dk. Bn. [dark brown hair]; Be. [blue
eyes]; scar on the left side of nose
Offence: Theft of Wood
Ordinary Occupation: Tinsmith
Religion: R. C. [Roman Catholic]
Education on Admission: Cannot read; Cannot write
Apparent State of Health on Admission: [blank]
Untried Prisoners –
Under Examination by whom: J.P. [Justice of the Peace] 29 June
Committed until Liberated in due course of Law by whom: S.S. [Sheriff Substitute] 30 June
Tried –
Date: July 9
By whom: Sheriff Sub[stitute]
Convicted or Acquitted: Convicted
Sentence: 20 days Impt. [Imprisonment]
Liberated or Removed after Conviction –
Date: July 29
By whose Authority: Time expired
Number of Days in Prison: 31
Conduct in Prison: Good
Prison Register Transcription
Dumfries Prison 1844
(National Archives Reference HH21/49/2)
Number: 95
Date of Admission: April 26 1844
By whom Committed: Lords of Justiciary
Sex: Male
Name: Robert Cunningham
Age: 20
Where Born: Gatehouse
Late Residence: Kirkcudbright
Where he has spent the greater part of his life: Dumfries
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Complexion: Pale
Hair: Fair
Eyes: Ligt. Blue
Marks: Right arm broke
Offence: Theft of a Writting [sic] Desk
Clean or Dirty?: Clean
Sober, partially Intoxicated, or Drunk?: Sober
Clothes in good Repair or Ragged?: Good
Did the Prisoner come in Direct after Arrest?: Kirkcudbright
Has the Prisoner knowledge of any Trade etc.?: [not recorded]
Ordinary Occupation: Hawker
Previous Imprisonments: [none]
Tried –
When: April 29
By whom: Lord Medwyn
Convicted or Acquitted: Convicted
Sentence: 7 Years Transportation
Liberated or Removed after Conviction, and if Removed, to what Place -
When: April 30
By whose Authority: Transmitted to Kirkcudbright Jail
Education: Cannot read; Cannot write
Employed or Unemployed at time of offence: [not recorded]
Time in Prison: [not recorded]
Conduct during Confinement: [not recorded]
Prison Register Transcription
Dumfries Prison 1851
(National Archives Reference HH21/49/3)
Number: 271
Date of Admission: Nov. 22 1851
By whom Committed: Wm. Nicholson J.P.
Previous Imprisonments: [none recorded]
Name: John Armstrong
Age: 32
Sex: Male
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Married: Single
Where Born: Boreland
Late Residence: Canonbie
Where spent greater part of life: Boreland
Weight in pounds on Admission: 153
Weight on pounds on Liberation: [not recorded]
Marks: Fh. [fresh complexion]; Dk. Bn. [dark brown hair]; Be. [blue eyes]; scar on left ear
Offence: Assault - Manslaughter
Ordinary Occupation: Labourer
Religion: Presbyterian
Education on Admission: Can read well; Can write well
Apparent State of Health on Admission: Good
Untried Prisoners –
Under Examination by whom: 22 Nov. [sic]
Tried –
Date: April 19
By whom: Circuit Court
Convicted or Acquitted: Convicted
Sentence: Twelve Months Imprisonment
Liberated or Removed after Conviction –
Date: May 14
By whose Authority: General Board
To what Place: G.P. [General Prison] Perth
Number of Days in Prison: 174
Conduct in Prison: Good
Hope this helps your research.
Emma