Why was John Kendrew in "Her Majestys Prison" Armley - 1881?

[Braeseke]

One of my ancestors 'John Kendrew' was in Armley Gaol according to the 1881 census.

Armley, "Her Majestys Prison" Armley Nr Leeds - C Traveller.

I haven't been able to find out exactly when and why he was sent to Armley but his daughter was born in March 1880.

I also haven't been able to find out when he was released from Armley but he is not in Armley according to the 1891 census.

Can anyone help please?

[busyglen]

Just a thought....could he have been transported which is why he isn't on the 1891 Census?

Glenys

[Sue Mackay]

He is on the 1891 census. I found him with his son Ernest in 1891 and then found Ernest with siblings and mother living with HER mother in 1881 while he was in prison, but then when I re-read the original post I thought Braeseke had all that and just wanted to know WHY he was in prison. I imagine you'd have to get info from the local record office for court or prison records, but have you tried the local newspapers?

[Braeseke]

Hi Glenys & Sue

Thank you ever so much for your interest. Sue, you are quite correct, on the 1891 census he is in Rothwell with his son Ernest.

John Kendrew's wife (Ann) actually died in November 1881 and I am presuming that John was still in Armley prison at the time as the informant on his wife's death certificate was her mother.

What I really want to know and am really struggling to find out is Why and When (dates) John Kendrew was sent to Armley Prison and When did he get out (Because of the 1891 census I know he was released sometime before then).

I've tried Armley Prison but they weren't very helpful and I'm not really local to the record office or newspapers. I have to do everything on-line.

Local newspapers, that's a good idea, but I don't know where he was convicted, what local paper it may have been in, if at all. I wonder how wide an area people who were sent to Armley prison came from!

[Peter Goodey]

I don't know if there's anything in here that may help...

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=253

[Braeseke]

Hi Peter

Thanks for the link. I've not had much luck with the NA either though.

I just wondered if anyone else has had any experience of tracking down records for prisoners at Armley, around the 1880's?

[busyglen]

I Googled under HM Prison Armley, and came up with the Leed site. It has an address and telephone number, so failing all else you could ask them if they have any idea where the actual records are kept. I suspect that the only place will the NA which Peter has advised you, but it is always worth a try.

Sorry, I couldn't get to save the ulr for some reason otherwise I would have put it here.

Glenys

[birdlip]

Hi there,

if you google Armley Gaol inmates records, you'll see that someone has posted a similar thread on another message board in 2005. There are several posts, the gist of all seems to be that although West Yorkshire Archives holds the records at the Wakefield branch, the registers don't start until 1908, with the exception of a register dated 1852-3. A reply from the Archives office is quoted in the post, suggesting looking at local newspapers and Quarter session and Petty session court records.

Not much help really I'm afraid!

regards, birdlip

[Colin Moretti]

There will be records at TNA, Kew, this is one series you need to look at::PCOM 6 1824-1949 Registers and Indexes - Indexed registers of Male Licences 1853-1881, and Female Licences 1853-1885, and indexes of old captions 1824-1864. These registers act as a means of reference to the records in PCOM 3 , PCOM 4 and PCOM 5 . You should realise that the records are not on line and you will need to make a personal visit there, or employ a researcher.

There are also these records:
HO 27 1805-1892 Criminal Registers, England and Wales - Known as Series II, and arranged by county, ... Registers of all persons in England and Wales charged with indictable offences showing the results of the trials, the sentences in case of conviction, and dates of execution of persons sentence to death; some of the registers contain personal information respecting the prisoners. There are incomplete microfiche indexes, arranged alphabetically and by county available in the Microfilm Reading Room. and others, the leaflet suggested by Peter earlier lists them all. Again, all will require a personal visit.

Colin

[Braeseke]

Hi Everyone

Sorry I'm a little late in replying. Thank you very much for all your suggestions.

I've previously been through a number of your ideas but unfortunately nothing has cropped up.

I'm stuck in the mud a bit at the moment but will try re-visiting things just in case I may have overlooked something.

Many thanks again!