Why was Gt Grandad in prison

[ginger58]

I really need some help if anyone can point me in the right direction i would be so pleased.  Robert Bannister died in Winson Green prison B/ham on the 1/7/1884 aged 38.  His 2 children were born in B/ham between 1876-78, although he was born and brought up in Herefordshire.
Census of 1881 he lived with his wife and children in Alveley Shropshire so between 1881 and 1884 he committed a offense which led to prison.  I have read the coroner report at B/ham Library but this does not tell me why he was in prison, i was also told in the library they could find no RB in any trials in the area.  Please can someone help me to where i look next

[genjen]

Hi,

You could contact the prison and see if they have any archives and if so, where they are held and whether you can have access to them.

Jen

[ginger58]

Hi genjen,
a relative who is a retired policeman has visited the prison but no records have been kept, i think i may have to start looking in local papers unless you have better ideas. Many thanks for your imput.

[Valda]

The National Archives has a research leaflet on Tracing 18th and 20th century criminals and what records are available

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=120

Survival of prison registers is very patchy, Winson Green especially and usually most prisons do not retain historical records.
Presumably Birmingham library checked the calendar of prisoners. He is also not showing in Warwickshire Record Office online calendar of prisoners.

http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/Web/corporate/pages.nsf/Links/3C3BECFC9AF8FC7B80256E7E0056B9FE

However the online index is not complete

'The series of Assize calendars is very incomplete at first. It starts with a few isolated calendars for prisoners held at Warwick Gaol (Summer 1801; Lent 1809; Lent 1829; Lent 1839; Lent 1841), but from 1849 to 1857, 1869 to 1871, 1874 to 1881 and 1888 to 1900 most calendars survive and have been indexed.

The calendars of Quarter Sessions prisoners are practically complete from 1800 to 1900, but the index does not at present cover the years 1836 to 1846 (with the exception of Epiphany 1836), and 1879 to 1884 (with the exception of Epiphany 1879 and Midsummer 1883).'

So it might be worth checking with them on the calendars that have not yet been indexed or are missing.
If he was tried in an Assize court the records will be held at The National Archives (as the judges presiding at these courts travelled around the country and were government appointed. They tried the most serious cases). If at the quarter sessions the records will be held in a local record office - Warwick or Birmingham (local judges) .
There is just a chance he got a short custodial sentence at the Petty Sessions (Magistrates court). If they survive those records survive they will be held at Birmingham record office.

Regards

Valda

[ginger58]

many thanks for your very interesting reply i will try B/ham records again, but i have this feeling the trial took place in Shropshire or Worcestershire and he was sent to Winson Green to serve his sentence do this sound logical ,could you be sent to a prison in a different area.
                                                                    ginger58

[LizzieW]

Ginger

It could have been something very minor.  My g.gran's first husband was sent to prison in 1872  for 6 weeks imprisonment with hard labour just for stealing a rope.  A bit different from today's prison sentences.

Lizzie

[Valda]

Prisoners serving shorter terms would be sent to a local prison such as Worcester or Shrewsbury and were known as prisoners. In government prisons (pre 1877 like Pentonville, Millbank, Chatham, Portland and Dartmoor etc) they were convicts serving hard labour. In an earlier period they would have been transported. Convicts served years not months and would often serve their prison sentence some distance away from their home. They were convicted of more serious crimes.

Winson Green Prison was certainly a local prison up to 1877 when all 'prisons were brought under the control of the Prison Commission. For the first time even local prisons were controlled centrally.'

If you think his crime was committed in Shropshire you need to contact the county record office and they will check their 'calendars of prisoners'.

Regards

Valda