Prisoners in Dartmoor Prison

[Patricia Houghton]

Hi
I have an ancestor who was a habitual criminal. He used a number of Alias's, in the Newspapers appearing in Court a number of times and inevitably he ended up in Jail.
His name is James READ of Isleham,Ely Born 1850 +/- 4yrs and I have found him on the 1901 census in HMP Dartmoor. His occupation is listed as a Thief and he is transcribed as Married.
I have not found him on the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census.
I also do not know who and when he married.
And also I do not know when and where he died.

I would desperately like to know if there is any way I can access his prison records which may enable me to answer a number of my questions and also if there are any mugshots of him still in existence.

Any help/guidance/suggestions would be most gratefully received
Thank you in advance
Patricia
 

[ShaunJ]

FindMyPast has a photo of a James Read who was prisoner number E589 in Pentonville in 1878. In for warehousebreaking, 7 years penal servitude. Received from Newgate in July 1878, transferred to Wormwood Scrubs in March 1879.

[ShaunJ]

In the 1881 census he's in HMP Lydford (is that Dartmoor?) 

[ShaunJ]

James Read, born Isleham 1850, was convicted  at Long Sutton on 5 July 1877 and given 7 years, Released from Dartmoor to "DPAS", Worcester, in July 1882.

He had 4 previous convictions in name of James Henry Reed.

[KGarrad]

Princeton, where HMP Dartmoor was built, lies within the parish of Lydford.

From White's Devonshire Directory, 1850:
"LIDFORD, or Lydford, is a small ancient village, on the banks of the small river Lyd, and on the western side of Dartmoor, 7½ miles N. by E. of Tavistock. Its parish contains 280 souls, and 3064 acres of land, exclusive of DARTMOOR FOREST QUARTER, which has a scattered population of 933 souls, and extends over about 53,900 acres of wild moorland hills and dales, including the hamlets of Prince Town, Hexworthy, Huckaby, Dinnabridge, Two Bridges, and the extensive but now unoccupied Prison of War."

[ShaunJ]

This looks likely for the man in Pentonville in 1878:

[Patricia Houghton]

Thank you so much for all the info Shaun J, you have been so very very helpful.

I have now found him on the 1881 census.

What I cannot get is his photo off FMPast, I do have a PRO subscription so I should be able to access it, but whatever I try it will not come up.

Should I be accessing a particular record set ? How did you do it ?
 

[ciderdrinker]

Just to add

James Read baptised Isleham 3 Dec 1848 s of William and Rebekah labourer

Siblings John 20 Dec 1835 at Willingham ,William 9.4.1837 , John and Robert  20 June 1839 ,John 29.11.1840,Mary 6.11.1842,John 27 July 1845 ,Ann 26.12.1846 ,Elizabeth 1 Dec 1850,Diver 5.10.1851,Elizabeth 6.11.1853,Alfred 7.1.1857 and Esther 132.2.1860.

Took me ages to find hid photo too
Under Institutions and Organisations
James Reed born 1844 +5 and date 1878 +0 keyword Pentonville
It's the 3rd one down ,l and he's on the right hand side page ,middle row.
Or 6th one down left hand side bottom row.

Ciderdrinker

[ShaunJ]

It's the 3rd one down ,l and he's on the right hand side page ,middle row.
Or 6th one down left hand side bottom row.

We must be looking at different photos.  The one I found is on the right hand page, second row, first on the row. E589:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=tna%2fccc%2fpcom2%2f099%2f00147&parentid=tna%2fccc%2f2b%2fpcom2%2f00930614