Hi All,
I am trying to help an elderly friend. This woman's father was born in Nottingham Prison , June 30th, 1885.
I have a copy of the birth cert. which states:
Name: William Arthur Stanley
Mother: Ellen Stanley, domestic servant
Signature,description, residence of informant:
Ellen Stanley Mother, HM Prison Nottingham
William Arthur Stanley emigrated to Canada in the early 1900s. He married and had a family, but never told his children anything about his origin, other than that he had been born in England and came to Canada alone, when he still in his teens.
His daughter found his birth certificate after his death and was utterly shocked to learn that her father had been born in prison. She has never stopped wondering
what crime her grandmother committed . She imagines that it must have something really serious. I would love to be able to tell her that it was just some petty offence.
I have started trying to trace the family but, my main concern at the moment is to find court records or anything that might tell us what this poor girl did to end up in prison.
I know nothing beyond what is on the birth cert.
Since William was born at the end of June 1885 and I
assume Ellen was already pregnant when she entered
prison, then the trial would have taken place no earlier than early Oct. 1884.
I found an Ellen Stanley in the 1881 census, who just might be the right one. she was working as a servant in a small boarding school in Standard Hill Nottingham.
Of course with a common name like Stanley, I might be wrong, but she was the only servant and a suitable age.
I have looked for information online and as far as I can
see, prison records and court records would be in the
Nottingham Archives. Since I live in Canada, this presents a bit of a problem.
Is there a kind soul out there who lives in Nottingham and would be willing to help? Any ideas or advice would
be appreciated.
Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions.
Regards,
Carmela