Prisoner Records Database

Calendars of Prisoners provide details of inmates in the county jail and in houses of correction within the county. The information given varies greatly, but they usually give name, details of the crime and place. Occasionally, age is given also.

Derbyshire Record Office holds the records of the Court of Quarter Sessions. These include a near complete run of Calendars of Prisoners for the period 1761-1888. In addition, we have a few later calendars and some that go back as early as 1558.

Currently, the period 1800-1875 is available and records can be viewed using the Prisoner Search function on the left toolbar. We will be making further sections available over the next few months. Note the reference numbers of any entries of interest and the staff at Derbyshire Record Office will be pleased to advise you about the possibility of obtaining copies of the original entries.

Was one of your ancestors transported to Australia ?

The Queensland Government has compiled a convict transportation registers database within their online state library. This is an index of over 123,000 convicts transported to Australia between 1787 and 1867. It includes:

• name of convict, including any known aliases
• place of trial
• term of years
• name of ship and date of departure
• place of arrival
• miscellaneous notes e.g. Died at sea; Ticket of Leave, etc.