Petty Criminal - Richard Potts

[Pottsy]

Hello all,

I have an ancestor that was interred into prison 7th May 1918 to 8th March 1919, at Wormwood Scrubs, London.

I checked the London Metropolitan Archive online to see whether there were any notes on him, or even a picture of him. But frustratingly the Nominal Registers (LMA/4417) are dated between 8th March 1917 - 2nd Jan 1918 and then 16th Nov 1918 - 19th April 1920.

Would anyone happen to know why there is a gap between those dates?

In this register would there be notes of his exit, or just his interment into the prison?

Could anyone point me to any other resources? Such as a court transcript or police records? I have found newspaper clippings and three different registers of his crimes.

I hope these questions are appropriate and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,
Pottsy

[Pam Downes]

Hello Pottsy,

Welcome to British-Genealogy.

I am no expert on criminal records, but I would have thought the best people to ask about the missing nominal registers are LMA.
I wouldn't have thought there is a lot more to be found, other than those three registers on FMP, and any newspaper clippings. I presume you noticed that the second register on FMP recorded 'Wandsworth', not Wormwood Scrubs. It could have been that he was initially sent to Wandsworth before being transferred to the Scrubs.

[Megan Roberts]

Richard Potts born about 1879 in London, a carman, appears in something called MEPO6 – Habitual Criminals Register.

He was 5ft 9ims tall, a fair complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He had a scar on his right cheek, and various tattoos: SG and JG on his right arm and five dots on his left forearm and AP on his right wrist. He was convicted of larceny at the county of London Sessions, and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on 7 May 1918. He was released on 8 March 1919 and was planning to live at 49 Bandon Road, Old Ford.

From the Police Gazette dated 17 Mat 1918 we learn that he had stolen 40 packages of tea from a van in transit, and that he had a previous conviction for larceny in J. Division, Metropolitan Police

[Pottsy]

Thank you! I will have to check the Wandsworth record too.

[Pottsy]

I presume you noticed that the second register on FMP recorded 'Wandsworth', not Wormwood Scrubs. It could have been that he was initially sent to Wandsworth before being transferred to the Scrubs.

Sorry could you point me to the register that has Wandsworth on it please?