Hello Listers, I hope someone can help me with this one. Does anyone know how to find a criminal record belonging to J. Darcy/D'Arcy. The crime or crimes occured in the 1840's. J Darcy appears on the 1851 census in Woolwich Hulks or prison. He was living with his family in Leeds Yorkshire on the 1841 census so maybe that is where he carried out with his crimes. About 1852 he may have joined the Army, I have been told that sometimes they were given the choice of join the Army or stay in Jail. Thanks for any help you can give me. Mary Heppell

From: Mary Heppell <heppell2@bigpond.com> > Does anyone know how to find a criminal record belonging to J. > Darcy/D'Arcy. The crime or crimes occured in the 1840's. > > J Darcy appears on the 1851 census in Woolwich Hulks or prison. > > He was living with his family in Leeds Yorkshire on the 1841 census so > maybe that is where he carried out with his crimes. > > About 1852 he may have joined the Army, I have been told that > sometimes they were given the choice of join the Army or stay in Jail.> The National Archives holds criminal records, but I suspect that without a year or place it might be a very long job to search them. As you are in Australia, you would have to employ a professional researcher who kinows his/her way around them. An alternative source could be a report in a local paper, but again since you don't know the year or place it could be a very time-consuming search. I very much doubt the cases are indexed by surname. There is a marvellous website covering the proceedings of the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court in London, but it doesn't seem likely your man came up before that. -- Roy Stockdill Editor, Journal of One-Name Studies Guild of One-Name Studies website: www.one-name.org Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE