Help and Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. How do I find information on a particular prison?
- Either use the various options on the menu bar at the left of the screen, or use the Search box near the top of the screen. It's worth noting that, over the years, prisons sometimes changed their name and/or location. The addresses they gave in official documents can sometimes be variable or confusing, for example giving the name of the parish within whose boundaries which they were located, rather than a more obvious town or village. Also be aware that street names, particularly in towns, may change over the years. The modern street numbers of buildings may also be different to how they were a century ago.
- 2. Can you help me track down a relative who may have been in a prison?
- Sorry, I'm afraid I just don't have the time to be able to help with individual family history detective work.
- 3. Where can I find the records for prison?
- Please note that I don't have a personal archive of prison records!
Where an establishment has an individual web page on this site, any
the information I have on the surviving records (and their location)
is included towards the end of the page. If you need more details, please contact the record office concerned. Do also check with the record repository that they do actually have the records available before travelling great distances to consult them, and that the repository's address
hasn't changed recently. Records frequently contain gaps (not always indicated
in the summary information on these web pages), and there are often access restrictions
on volumes containing records less than 100 years old. Also see my general
introduction to prison records.
- 4. Can I create a link to this site?
- Yes, there is no need to ask permission. Please explicitly mention the name of the site (www.theprison.org.uk) in the text accompanying your link, e.g.
For more information on the history of the Borchester County Gaol, see Peter Higginbotham's web site: www.theprison.org.uk/Borchester
For advice on how to reference material on this website in an essay, thesis etc., see the separate citations page.
- 5. Can I reproduce some pictures or text from this website?
- For information on this topic, please see the separate page on copyright.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
