The FHUG Downloads for Military History may be of interest because amongst the Attributes are many for physical descriptions such as complexion, eyes,, hair, height, scars, weight, etc at enlistment that could be adapted for your prison records. Regards, Mike Tate -----Original Message----- From: family-historian-users-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:family-historian-users-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Margaret North Sent: 28 September 2011 16:56 To: john.wjames@which.net; family-historian-users@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [FHU] Recording a term of imprisonment. John, It is a shame that your research into the working life of the prison warders in your family; what stories they could have told too. The two entries in the Manchester Prison Registers not only told me what they were charged with and the sentence but complexion, colour of eyes and hair and their height plus details of any scars. In the case of my Great-great-grandfather it also gave his age "last Mar" (thus giving me a clue to his possible baptism date that has eluded me for 15 years) and also his weight on admission and on discharge. Great-grandfather Henry at 15 got 14 days for using insulting language in 1869 and I wonder what he said to his father George in 1877 when he got 7 days for being drunk and riotous! Unsurprisingly, neither could afford to pay the fines so had to serve the sentences. Margaret. On 28/09/2011 08:09, John James wrote: > Margaret, > > You're fortunate that they were on that side of the bars from a Family History view point as, from my experience, you're far more likely to be able to research their time with the institution compared to that of their Warders. At least three of my paternal family (Great Grandfather, Great Uncle, Grandfather) were Prison Warders, in interesting places like Dartmoor, Portland and The Scrubs. > > Repeated enquiries, both to the Prison Service and to the individual institutions, have come up against a high brick wall with spikes on the top, due to the service's apparent practice at the time of destroying all old staff records. > > I actually envy you! > > John >

Mike, Thanks for the tip, I will look for that one in the FHUG Downloads. Margaret On 28/09/2011 20:02, Beryl & Mike Tate wrote: > The FHUG Downloads for Military History may be of interest because amongst the Attributes are many for physical descriptions such as > complexion, eyes,, hair, height, scars, weight, etc at enlistment that could be adapted for your prison records. > > Regards, Mike Tate > > -----Original Message----- > From: family-historian-users-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:family-historian-users-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Margaret North > Sent: 28 September 2011 16:56 > To: john.wjames@which.net; family-historian-users@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [FHU] Recording a term of imprisonment. > > John, > > It is a shame that your research into the working life of the prison warders in your family; what stories they could have told too. > > The two entries in the Manchester Prison Registers not only told me what they were charged with and the sentence but complexion, > colour of eyes and hair and their height plus details of any scars. In the case of my Great-great-grandfather it also gave his age > "last Mar" (thus giving me a clue to his possible baptism date that has eluded me for 15 years) and also his weight on admission and > on discharge. Great-grandfather Henry at 15 got 14 days for using insulting language in 1869 and I wonder what he said to his > father George in 1877 when he got 7 days for being drunk and riotous! Unsurprisingly, neither could afford to pay the fines so had > to serve the sentences. > > Margaret. > > On 28/09/2011 08:09, John James wrote: >> Margaret, >> >> You're fortunate that they were on that side of the bars from a Family History view point as, from my experience, you're far more > likely to be able to research their time with the institution compared to that of their Warders. At least three of my paternal > family (Great Grandfather, Great Uncle, Grandfather) were Prison Warders, in interesting places like Dartmoor, Portland and The > Scrubs. >> Repeated enquiries, both to the Prison Service and to the individual institutions, have come up against a high brick wall with > spikes on the top, due to the service's apparent practice at the time of destroying all old staff records. >> I actually envy you! >> >> John >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FAMILY-HISTORIAN-USERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >