Wondering where to find C19th prison records?



Lewisham Local History Archive Centre. Reference: A/03/44/9/1/4/51 (MC 1837)

Records of prisoners and prison staff are held in a number of different places, including The National Archives, prisons themselves and local history archives. There is no national register of prisoners. A good starting point is The National Archives research guide - 'Prisoners and prison staff'. Advice, links, tips on how to begin a search.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/prisoners-or-prison-staff/

Another useful place to look is the website Prison History https://www.prisonhistory.org/ . The site contains information on 843 English prisons, lock ups and hulks used to confine those accused and convicted of crime between 1800 and 1899.