criminal records

[mrsteedee]

I have an ancestor who was in prison in the 1861 cencus in Dumfries, could anyone do a search and find out why he was in there please ?

His name ARCHIBALD ONEILL born in Ireland about 1838 then age 23, occupation tinsmith.

Thanks

Trudi

[ScottishAncestry]

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

[mrsteedee]

Hello Emma

That is amazing, i am gob-smacked, what a find, you are right, who would have thought most of that information would have been on file.  I now have an image in my head of a wee little Irish fella running around Dumfries, i guessed he could not read and write with the different spellings of his childrens surname, yet i still have so much to find about him, i have spent months looking for his marriage to no avail, but this has made it all worth while, for me it is far more interesting when you find details like this.

Thankyou so, so much.

Trudi

[mrsteedee]

A cheeky question Emma,

Could you find out where his previous 2 imprisonments were and what for, or is that asking too much ?

Trudi

[ScottishAncestry]

Hi Trudi,

I will see what I can do, without a date they can take a while to search. We’re actually getting ready for the 22nd Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) Conference in Edinburgh on Saturday so it will probably be next week before I get to it.

I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Emma

[Minties]

Can  jump in on the band wagon too? I have just discovered that my 2x gt grandfather eas also tried at Dumfries in 1844 and sent to Van Diemens land  Could I possibly ask for a look up too? Her are his details- I am hoping that I will find his father's name- I am told it he was Gordon but have never found his baptism

Robert Cunningham was the convict tried at Dumfries Court for housebreaking and sentence for 7 years to Van Diemens Land in 1844. He claimed he was from "Gatehouse near Dumfries" At the time he was a labourer
aged 21 yrs old 5' 7 tall, fresh complexion, brown hair, blue eyes.
Thanks
Donna in Canada

[gazania]

Me too!

I am looking forward to the indexing of the Dumfries Prison Records:

From the Eskdale & Liddesdale Advertiser index:

3 Dec 1851    John Armstrong, lab of Netherton, was apprehended for the fatal assault of John Wylie at   
                     Canonbie and sent to Dumfries Prison
5 May 1852   John Armstrong was convicted of manslaughter of John Wylie at BallmansknoweTollbar       and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.

Thank you, Gazania

[ScottishAncestry]

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

[Minties]

 Thanks Emma- how terrible transported for 7 years for a first offence
and thanks for  a great website
Donna