On Mon, 26 Mar 2001 13:05:48 +0100, you wrote: >Hi listers > >We have found a rele that was an inmate at Portland Prison in 1851 and would like to find out more details. His name was Thomas KNAPP and he was born/bap in High Ham in Somerset. > >Does anyone have an idea as to where to look to find out when his case was tried and what details we are likely to find out? Is there any info on the net we can search through? Does anyone have any records that they would lookup for us? > >Thanks for helping > >Andrew and Sue Hi Andrew and Sue I would have thought that the Somerset Archives would be the place to start looking: http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/mainpage.htm however, having said that I've just done a search on "Prison Calendars" at: http://www.foursite.somerset.gov.uk/ and this item came up: don't know if it might include your Thomas? >Record Number: GRN0111609 >Local Class No.: T 347 >Loc. Class(Somerset): T 347 >Corporate Name: Somerset. Court of Quarter Sessions >Title: Calendars of the prisoners for Quarter Sessions October 1846 >- October 1852 >Format: Books >Copies: 1 > >Copy Availability > >Library Shelf location Status Due Back >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Somerset Studies Taunton Check Shelves > Not on the net though. Now all you need is SKS to drop into the Local Studies Library in Taunton to have a look to see if he's there: I'm not sure if anyone here can help, but I think there might be a lady who frequents the Bristol and Somerset List who might be able to, if she isn't too busy putting her website on-line:-) So it might also be worth asking on our sister list at: Bristol_and_Somerset-L-request@rootsweb.com But getting back to the Somerset Archives site I note that there is a list of prisoners at: http://www.somerset.gov.uk/archives/asp/listal.asp?Database=../_Private/prisoner.mdb&File=PrisonDescriptions&Field=Surname but regret no Thomas KNAPP! I don't know how complete or otherwise this list is? Another angle may be to try and find local newspapers for the period: these may be too early, but Paul Mansfield has indexed some papers for the area and these can be seen by downloading the files from: http://freespace.virgin.net/paul.mansfield1/paul001.html At least they will give you an idea of the content and maybe the particular newspaper that you need to research? But at the end of the day I would have thought that if any records survive, then they will be at Taunton RO. Regards Paul Portland