DARTMOOR PRISON CENSUS 1891 JAMES EDMONDSON aged 23

[liscoole]

Hi

Could someone please who has access to Dartmoor Prison records please look up James Edmondson born 1868 Wigan Lancashire.
He appears on the 1891 census aged 23 as a convict there.

Many thanks

[jonw65]

Hi
I've just noticed he seems to be spelt as Edmundson in that census.
I had been puzzling why there was nothing in the newspapers, but then I had only been looking for a year or two before 1891.

I am sorry to say that the only thing I can find is in England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892
James Edmundson, 6 Feb 1886, Lancaster Assizes
Found guilty of rape and sentenced to 7 years.

Listed after him are Matthew Carroll and James Fletcher, also convicted of rape, 7 years.
Further up is John Fletcher, rape, 10 years.

There is something in the Wigan Observer, 26 Dec 1885, but I only have the mangled ocr text
John Fletcher, James Edmondson, Matthew Carroll, James Fletcher, School-street (for the other streets will need to see original) charged with (molesting?)

The person enumerated under James in Dartmoor in 1891 is Matthew Carroll, 22, Collier, also born Wigan Lancashire. So that is one of the others.
Heavy stuff. Sorry about this.
John

[jonw65]

Looking for Matthew Carroll in the newspapers brings up a report of the assizes, but James E is John
Liverpool Mercury, 17 Feb 1886
CRIMINAL OUTRAGES.
John Fletcher, aged 25, collier, John Edmund-son, aged 18, labourer, Matthew Carroll, aged 17, labourer, and James Fletcher, aged 26, collier, charged with perpetrating an outrage upon a domestic servant called Mary Mulloy at Wigan, on the 17th December last, were found guilty, sentence being deferred. Mr. Heywood prosecuted, and Dr. Commins defended.

See also Soulby's Ulverston Advertiser and General Intelligencer, 25 Feb.

James Fletcher, 31, Collier, born Wigan, is a convict at Portland Prison in 1891.

[liscoole]

Hi Jon (again
Yes it’s a bit of a choker to find out an ancestor was a convicted rapist.
Thankfully it’s not my ancestor- it’s my husbands.
This was a huge brick wall for me when I researched this on behalf of my husbands favourite uncle. He has since passed away and I am glad I was not able to solve this part of the puzzle while he was living. It would have cast a very dark shadow over everything.
The good news is, that when James got out of prison, he changed his name and was a reformed character. He went on to serve in the Boer war and ended up a decorated war hero.
I only need one final piece of info to confirm everything.
I need the date James Edmondson was released from Dartmoor prison.
If it was after June 1892, the theory is blown to bits and they are not the same people. He enlisted at Bury in June 1892 to the 2nd Dorset regiment under the name of James Wilkinson and made himself a few years younger too.
Any idea on how to find out date of release from prison?
Edit- the name is misreported as I have found all the criminal records on ancestry and it is definitely JAMES not JOHN who was convicted)

[jonw65]

Hi
So far I haven't been able to find mention of any records of prisoners for Dartmoor, I guess you have had no luck either. The National Archives would seem be the likely place, if there are any.
Valda, here on rootschat, replied to a similar question back in 2007 and her answers are not too encouraging
Dartmoor Prison 1871 
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=244383.0

Yes, James turned things around, presuming it is the same man. He would have had to be released before serving the full seven years. Joining the army was some kind of atonement? (If that was the right word). I did specifically look to see if he was in the Wigan newspaper during the Boer War, as an (apparently) local man, I thought he might be mentioned, but nothing appeared!

Hopefully someone will have some ideas on finding a release date for James.
John

[liscoole]

Thanks John that’s a useful link.

I’ll keep on searching. Thanks so much for all your research and helpful input!
Best wishes
Liscoole

[Flemming]

I remember looking for Dartmoor Prison records a few years ago and being told that many of them were destroyed in the War - but my memory could be failing me here. It may be worth emailing The Box in Plymouth theboxenquiries@plymouth.gov.uk

[liscoole]

I remember looking for Dartmoor Prison records a few years ago and being told that many of them were destroyed in the War - but my memory could be failing me here. It may be worth emailing The Box in Plymouth theboxenquiries@plymouth.gov.uk

Thank you Flemming that’s worth a try!