Criminal registers and local newspapers

England and Wales criminal registers, 1791-1892

These are registers of all persons charged with indictable offences in England and Wales.

The original registers are held at TNA, and can be searched online at Ancestry. This is a subscription website, but can be accessed free of charge at NRO, Norfolk Heritage Centre (NHC) and King’s Lynn Borough Archives.

The information given in the registers may include:

• The name, age and birthplace of the accused
• When and where he or she was tried
• The crime and sentence
• The date of execution or release
• By whom the accused was committed
• To whom he or she was delivered

The registers are useful in identifying the court which heard the case, so that you can look for any surviving court records.

Local newspapers

These contain accounts of trials at both the assizes and quarter sessions.

They are available for consultation on microfilm in the NHC.