How to search & use the criminal records on Ancestry

Step-by-step guide

Go to www.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/clp_court/ to see the full listing of collections on Ancestry relating to crime.the range of criminal related records include criminal registers, gaol books, prison registers, police charge books and more. We would advise using the filters on the left-hand side to home in on the place and period that you’re interested in. You may also wish to search widely, just to see what you may learn – this can throw up some fascinating discoveries and will grow your knowledge about the sorts of historic collections of records that can be found. 4. Here we find 5 of the Tolpuddle Martyrs listed on the Convict Indentures for New South Wales, having arrived on the Surry. (To find the details for each man, read across the document shown above, then on to the document shown right). To take the story further, details of subsequent pardons and tickets of leave can also be found and provide the next step in the fascinating case of tracing a life through the criminal records on Ancestry

2. We’re going to search for James Brine, one of the Tolpuddle Martyrs – not all our convict ancestors were downright felons; some simply fell foul of the law due to their principles being unlawful at the time

3. Zooming in, here we can see the sentence for the 6 Tolpuddle Martyrs – transportation for 7 years, simply for swearing an unlawful oath

1. Here we’re going to search the free index to the England and Wales Criminal Registers 1791-1892: www.ancestry. co.uk/search/ collections/1590/