Author Topic: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?  (Read 1181 times)

Offline hackney51

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John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« on: Tuesday 05 November 19 19:04 GMT (UK) »
Could someone help me please as I've hit a brick wall, my gg grandfather John Tompkins has a record of being in Forton Prison  in 1871 and I am unable to find out any information of why and what was the history of this place??? if anyone could help I would be very grateful thank you

Offline bbart

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 19:22 GMT (UK) »
Hi, and welcome to Rootschat!

Looking through old newspapers, most times "Forton Prison" is mentioned, it is referred to as a military prison.  Have you found any military records for him?

Offline cath151

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 19:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi, welcome  :)
Do you have a little more info on him, age, where he lived? Was it 1871 or 1881?

Cathy
Sinnock/Sinnicks...Brighton,Greenwich.
Clements,Coles,Mc Donagh,Rock

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Offline Jool

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 19:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi and welcome,

Could you please clarify the year, your thread title says 1881 but the post says 1871.
Robbins - Wolverhampton.
Spooner - Monmouthshire & Wolverhampton.
Warner & Loundes - Dudley/West Bromwich.
Dod(g)son - Heysham/Liverpool/Wolverhampton


Offline Girl Guide

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 19:57 GMT (UK) »
There is a crime record for a John Tompkins dated 19th July 1869, Aylesbury in the county of Buckingham.

Committed burglary and given eight years penal servitude.
Ashford: Somerset, London
England: Devon, London, New Zealand
Holdway: Wiltshire
Hooper: Bristol, Somerset
Knowling: Devon, London
Southcott: Devon, China
Strong: Wiltshire
Watson: Cambridgeshire
White: Bristol
Windo - Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Offline Girl Guide

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 20:03 GMT (UK) »
There is a John Tompkins in prison in Portsea, age 42, birth year 1829, birth county Oxfordshire.  Is this your John?

Registration district   Portsea Island
Archive reference   RG10
Piece number   1133
Folio   115
Page   41
Ashford: Somerset, London
England: Devon, London, New Zealand
Holdway: Wiltshire
Hooper: Bristol, Somerset
Knowling: Devon, London
Southcott: Devon, China
Strong: Wiltshire
Watson: Cambridgeshire
White: Bristol
Windo - Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Offline Girl Guide

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 20:08 GMT (UK) »
There is another crime record for 1852 for a John Tompkins born 1830.  If you could tell us where and when your John was born it would help narrow him down.

The information I have given so far is speculative.
Ashford: Somerset, London
England: Devon, London, New Zealand
Holdway: Wiltshire
Hooper: Bristol, Somerset
Knowling: Devon, London
Southcott: Devon, China
Strong: Wiltshire
Watson: Cambridgeshire
White: Bristol
Windo - Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Offline spendlove

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 20:11 GMT (UK) »
Originally for prisoners of war, but it appears by 1871 for none military prisoners.

Look at image 1 and 2 of this census set this shows prison officers were classed as “civil servants”, a number of articles suggest this prison was used for long term prisoners.


https://historicgosport.uk/forton-prison/

Spendlove

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Spendlove, Strutt in London & Middlesex.

Offline hackney51

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Re: John Tompkins Forton Prison 1881?
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 21:12 GMT (UK) »
Apologies..not very good at this lol.. here we go...John Francis Leopold Tompkins dob July 1852 mother Mary Ann Elizabeth Lawrence/father William Tompkins) he married Ann Shea in July 1880, probably St Pancras/St.Marylebone London  they had 5 children she was born in 1856 whereabouts I cant find...I cant find ANYTHING about her, just her name. My nan Elizabeth Tompkins was one of the 5 children. in 1871 or 81 (?) it mentions on the census that he was at Forton, no mention of why or what he had done after that I cant find any death information for either him or Ann, or any other information about them I would  really appreciate any info..many thanks ( and good luck!)