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| NY, Governor's Registers of Commitment to Prisons, 1842-1908 ancestry.com |
From
Alaska to Arkansas, California to Connecticut or Maine to Montana every state
in the Union has state prisons, sometimes called the State Penitentiary. California has 33! As
“black sheeps” and criminals sprinkle every family tree (if you look hard enough),
prison records are a gem to family genealogists and historical researchers. Lately
in family history the question of whether criminals are born or made has become
a favorite topic when analyzing family trees. See the case of Steven
“Tony” Mobley.
a3Genealogy researchers have noticed the
more gruesome, the more interests. And crimes committed by women or against
children generate community outcry.
Find Your Blacksheep
Find Your Blacksheep
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| Liberty Tribune, 1857 |
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| Liberty Tribune, 1855 |
Although your black sheep may have visited the city jail, county jail, or Federal Penitentiary, be sure to check the following resources for those held in state prisons or penitentiaries. Although census records may enumerate your ancestor as “resident” of the penitentiary, remember newspaper articles provide accounts of not only the crimes, but often the trial, and witness statements. In addition the details of your ancestor’s crime can be uncovered in a series of the following state held documents.
Top 12 Collections to
Research
Many
of the following records can be found at State Archives or the State Historical
Society, but we have also noted collections that may be found in university
collections.
- Original
court case. With a bit of legwork, researchers may find copies of an
original court case in the county courthouse, the State courthouse or at
the federal level.
- Warden
Papers.
Most states have an extensive collection of Warden Papers. Maryland
Historical Society Warden Papers date from 1797-1851.
- Prison Escapes. Of course the newspapers announced escapees, but also official papers may be located in the Board of Inspectors Records. Excess escapes often led to investigations of the lessee’s management of the prison by the Penitentiary Board of Inspectors.
- Penitentiary Board of Inspectors Records. It’s not always clear how collections cross the states, but the Missouri Board of Inspectors Records 1843-1854 can be located at the University of Michigan, William L. Clements Library: Finding Aid for Mo. Penitentiary Board of Inspectors Records 1843-1854.
- Discipline Papers. Guards and Wardens recorded “official’ disciplinary actions and so did prisoner advocates. Researchers may find records, like the Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy dated as early as 1845 from the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons.
- Penitentiary Physician Collections. Like most states, physician reports can be located at the State Archives. The Texas State penitentiary from 1860 - 1880 is located at the Texas State Archives, 1846-1921.
- Pardon Papers. Although Pardon Papers may be extensive with
explanation of decision, or may be as scant as a Certificate of Pardon,
these collections are useful. Often pardons were initiated by community
petitions as was the pardon papers of Cynthia Nixon’s great-great-great
grandmother, Martha Casto recently presented on TLC, Who Do You Think You
Are?.
- Papers of
Governors.
As pardons were issued by the Governors, these papers are crucial in
understanding a “missing” prisoner, a pardoned prison, or one note housed
in the prison. Governor’s papers were often preserved and may be found at
the State Archives as is the case for Missouri. Papers of Governor Meredith Miles Marmaduke have been salvaged from 9 Feb 1844 – 20 Nov
1944 and those of Governor Thomas Reynolds from 1840 to 19 Feb 1844 are available.
- The Journal of the Senate. Names and events provided in the
Senate Journal of the State provide delightful hints to prisoners and
activities of the penitentiaries. A good example is the Journal
of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1841).
- County
Histories.
County Histories are commonly found at local libraries, State Archives,
and online. It’s a welcomed surprise to find one’s ancestors in these
county history books.
- State
Historical Reviews.
The Missouri Historical Review held a wonderful article on Strangers to Domestic Virtues: Nineteenth-Century Women in the Missouri Prison
by Gary R. Kremer that
proffered a wealth of knowledge.
- Dissertations and Thesis. The study of Prisons and the culture
of penitentiaries has long been a favorite for graduate studies. Be sure
to read "A History of the Missouri State Penitentiary,
1833-1875" written by William Charles Nesheim, M. A. thesis,
University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1971).
Other Tips & Hints to Prison Research
Researchers will find that some documents will separate inmates by race and gender. The New York, Prisoners Received at Newgate State prison, 1797-1810 enumerates Black Women, Black Men and Foreigners separately. This annual account of prisoners in the State Prison lists includes the crime.
The following records have been digitized on ancestry.com:
- New York, Prisoners Received at Newgate State Prison, 1797-1810
- New York, Governor's Registers of Commitments to Prisons, 1842-1908
- Alabama Convict Records (county and state), 1886-1952
- Louisiana, State Penitentiary Records, 1866-1963
Kathleen Brandt
a3Genealogy.com
Accurate, accessible answers
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