Chester Gaol at Chester Castle

[Pippakit]

I have been to the Record Office looking for a relative (Richard Ruscoe) who was transported from Chester in 1833. I have previously found when and where he was transported (Australia) but I can't find any information about his conviction. A very helpful person at the Record Office pointed me in the right direction for looking up gaol records, but they only hold the ones for Chester City Gaol and as he does not appear on those records, he thinks that he was held at the Gaol at Chester Castle, which I believe was known as the County Gaol. But they don't have those records at the Record Office.
Does anyone know where I might find the Chester Castle (County) Gaol records? Are they available to the general public?
I did find a document which listed Richard Ruscoe, along with 6 other men, who were to 'be removed with all convenient speed' to a hulk ship in Gosport, so I know that he was sent from Chester.
I even looked at the Chester Chronicle for the date nearest his conviction, and although I found reports on the crimes of 4 of the 7 who were sent together, Richard and the other 2 men do not appear to have been named and shamed in the Chester Chronicle! I don't know if the other 2 were involved in Richard's crime, which was stealing money, or if he was acting alone.
Can anyone help with the County Gaol records?
Thank you,
Pippa

[kathb]

Hi, Pippakit, you could try emailing the Chester History and Heritage centre they might have some knowledge of the Goal records.
Their email address is as follows:
chh[-- at --]cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
Regards
Kathb

Moderator Comment: e-mail edited, to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please replace [-- at --] with @

[stanmapstone]

In the England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892, he was sentenced to 14 years transportation for receiving stolen goods.

Stan

[Shep]

I did find a document which listed Richard Ruscoe, along with 6 other men, who were to 'be removed with all convenient speed' to a hulk ship in Gosport, so I know that he was sent from Chester.

There is a record of his conviction (for stealing money?)  on the 3rd Aug 1833 at the Chester Summer Assizes in the Prison Hulk Registers on Ancestry. He boarded the hulk 'Hardy' in Portsmouth on the 21st August 1833 and left for NSW on the 9th October 1833 on the 'Fairlie'.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_prison_hulk

Did you check the Quarter session records for both the County and City sessions as well - sessions files are under doc ref QJF

[Pippakit]

Thank you Stan for that information. I didn't realise it was available on Ancestry - I have just had a look and found the bit about Richard receiving stolen goods. I had been told he had been transported for stealing money. At least I've got the correct crime now!

Shep, the very helpful man at the Record Office showed me the relevant catalogue for the Quarter Sessions, but I was not quite sure what I was looking at! But I did find the document listing Richard and the 6 other men who were moved to the Hulk ship York in Gosport. But another bit of documentation he pointed me to, which he said would have been useful to me, showed that the information was missing for the year I was interested in - 1833. I'm not sure exactly what this document was, so it may well have contained Richard's criminal details. I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at when I was there, as I was it bit thrown by the County and City records. I am still not sure why he came under the County sessions as he was born and lived in Chester City itself. I had a look at some of the records, which I think were the City sessions. They were very detailed about the people standing trial, even giving details about their appearance, ie hair and eye colour, height, occupation etc. That is the kind of thing I was hoping to find for Richard.

Thanks, Kathb, I will contact the Chester History and Heritage Centre. I have been there in the past, that's the one in the old church on Bridge Street, isn't it.

Thanks for your assistance everyone, I have a few more details and leads now.
Pippa

[Shep]

I didn't realise it was available on Ancestry - I have just had a look and found the bit about Richard receiving stolen goods. I had been told he had been transported for stealing money. At least I've got the correct crime now!

It could still be either crime depending on which source you believe i.e. the Criminal Register or the Prisoh Hulk Log book as they differ.

[Shep]

Just found this in the Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868 on Ancestry:

Name: Richard Ruscoe
Vessel: Fairlie
Convicted Date: 3 Aug 1833
Voyage Date: 14 Oct 1833
Colony: New South Wales
Place of Conviction: Chester, Cheshire, England

You can view the image of the Register on there along with another in the New South Wales, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849

He also appears in the Settler and Convict Lists and the Convict Pardons & Tickets of Leave lists but you need a Worldwide subscription to view those.

The 'Fairlie' departed England 27 October 1833 and arrived in Port Jackson 15 February 1834 bringing 372 male convicts. Master Hy Ager. Surgeon Alick Osborne. Guard - 29 rank and file of 17th, 21st, 39th and 50th regiments as well as 4 women, 12 children and 3 female servants.
Distribution of 372 male convicts who arrived on the Fairlie. 319 assigned to private service; 3 in hospital; 9 unfit for assignment; 24 placed in an iron gang; 4 sent to Norfolk Island; 3 sent to Port Macquarie (specials); 8 sent to Carter's Barracks; 2 in gaol committed for trial

See http://www.jenwilletts.com/ConvictShipsFG.htm and http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-5826174&CATLN=7&accessmethod=5

Also see FindMyPast:
Convict Arrivals in New South Wales 
State: New South Wales
 Country: Australia
 Day of arrival in NSW: 15
Month of arrival in NSW: Feb
 Year of arrival in NSW: 1834
 Given names: RICHARD
 Surname: RUSCOE
 Ship name: FAIRLIE
 

[Shep]

Here is the weblink for setting up an Ancestry account for Australian research:-

http://www.ancestry.com.au/

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Search our ever growing collection of records covering colonial Australia and beyond.

Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Third Fleet, 1791
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Second Fleet, 1789-1790
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – First Fleet, 1787-1788
List of Convicts with Particulars, 1788-1842
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849
New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia, Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1859
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849
NSW Assisted Immigrants, 1828 - 1896  First Fleet, 1787-1788  NSW
Unassisted Immigrants 1826 - 1922  Second Fleet, 1789-1790
Australia Electoral Rolls, 1901-1936 Third Fleet, 1791
Census of NSW, 1828 Victoria
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[Shep]

Ancestry Australia has free access to convict records over the weekend. http://www.ancestry.com.au/