QUARTERLY RETURNS OF PRISONERS, 1857

This double-page spread details convicts confined on HMS Justitia at Woolwich in the final quarter of 1857

Name and age

Only the convict’s first name, surname and age are given, rather than their full name and date of birth.

Surgeon’s report

Convicts received regular medical examinations to check for signs of illness.

Offence

This column lists the offence for which the convict was being transported. The crimes on this page include housebreaking and robbery.

Musters

This column summarises each convict’s behaviour in the previous musters (or quarters), ranging from Very Good and Good to Indifferent, Bad and Very Bad.

Conviction

The precise date and location of the trial are given, which helps you to differentiate convicts with the same name.

Sentence

This gives the sentence in the number of years a convict would be transported for; it varied depending on the offence.

Remarks

This records transfers between prisons, deaths and transportation, including the ship, departure date and destination.