Prisons and prisoners in Norfolk
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 (opens new window), and can be searched online at Ancestry (opens new window). 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.