Cornwall, England, Bodmin Gaol Records, 1821-1899

Following an Act of Parliament in 1779 and built by prisoners of war, Bodmin Gaol was a prison on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England. Three separate establishments existed on the site; Bridewell, which was originally intended for the imprisonment of women and less serious offenders has records available for 1821 to 1848; the Debtors' Prison, also known as the Sheriff's Ward, has records available for 1831 to 1853 and for 1868 to 1879; and the main gaol for which there are records available for 1831 to 1899.

The gaol closed in 1927 after being operational for nearly 150 years, and was eventually turned into a tourist attraction. While operational, the gaol oversaw public hangings, held debtors, criminals, and naval prisoners, and protected some of Britain's national treasures during World War I such as the Domesday Book and the Crown Jewels.

This collection consists of indexed records for prisoners held in the historic prison during the years 1821-1899. The records often include a wealth of information on inmates. Typical details can include:

• Name
• Residence
• Age
• Birth Place
• Marital Status
• Number of Children
• Religion
• Gaol Employment
• Occupation
• Debt
• Sentence
• Date Admitted
• Date Discharged

Abbreviations used

• Acq. - acquitted
• Adm. with chd. - admitted with child
• Agst. - against
• Als. - indicates an Alias was used
• bro. - brother
• Const. - Constable
• cwt. - hundredweight
• Dischgd. - discharged
• Ho. - house
• lbs. - pounds
• Mks./mkd. - marks/ marked - i.e. marked with tattoo
• mo. - mother
• P.C. - Police Constable
• prev. - previous
• R.A. - Royal Artillery
• R.C. - Roman Catholic
• R.C.R.M - Royal Cornwall Rangers Militia
• Regt. - Regiment
• sis. - sister
• sov./sovn. - sovereign
• stealg. - stealing
• twds. - towards