Guide to the Records held by Greater London Record Office (as filmed by the AJCP)
M581, M3087-M3105
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2019
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Greater London Record Office
- Title
- Records held by Greater London Record Office (as filmed by the AJCP)
- Date Range
- 1774 - 1939
- Collection Number
- M581, M3087-M3105
- Extent
- 67 items
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Australian Joint Copying Project
- Sponsor
- The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Records of cases from the County of Middlesex tried in the London Criminal Court (Old Bailey) and detained in Newgate Gaol.
Conditions Governing Access
Available for Access.
Conditions Governing Use
Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the London Metropolitan Archives. For more information contact London Metropolitan Archives Enquiry service [https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/visitor-information/Pages/enquiry-service.aspx].
Preferred Citation
Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the London Metropolitan Archives and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.
Items from this collection should include references to the London Metropolitan Archives and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.
Example: Western Australasian Trade Section Minute Book. 22 April 1895- 12 October 1904, London Metropolitan Archives. MS 16512 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-798920226).
Archival History
Material selectively filmed at the Middlesex County Record Office, 1964 (AJCP Reel: M581) and the Greater London Record Office, 1995 (AJCP Reels: M3087-M3105) as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project. Original microfilm digitised as part of the AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.
Originally held at Middlesex County Record Office and then the Greater London Record Office, 1 Queen Anne's Gate Buildings, Dartmouth Street, London SW1H 9BS, now London Metropolitan Archives.
Existence and Location of Originals
London Metropolitan Archives, London, England.
For further information see London Metropolitan Archives (https://search.lma.gov.uk/).
Existence and Location of Copies
The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2107019] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.
Related Materials
This collection supplements HO26. Home office: Criminal Registers, Middlesex, 1791-1849 [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn532492] which has been digitised as by the Australian Joint Copying Project.
Finding Aid Note
This finding aid is a revised online version of the original finding aid prepared by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), published by the National Library of Australia in 2018. The original AJCP finding aids were unpublished typescripts or photocopies available from libraries that held copies of the original microfilm.
Dates used in this finding aid refer to the date range of the records selected for filming rather than to the date range of the Series or Files.
The identifiers used in this finding aid were accurate at the time of filming.
Subjects
Australia: immigration to; Convicts; Newgate Gaol; Great Britain. Central Criminal Court; Prisons: England
Bibliography
Originally cited in Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook. Part 8: Miscellaneous (M) Series. Third Edition, published 1998. Entry 199, p. 75.
Biographical / Historical
The Middlesex County Record Office evolved from the collection of records of Middlesex Quarter Sessions which the Clerk of the Peace was required to preserve, together with other records such as enclosure awards. At the direction of a committee of the justices of peace, the old records were first sorted and listed in the 1880s. The new Middlesex Guildhall at Westminster, which was equipped with muniment rooms, opened in 1913 and in 1923 a full-time assistant was placed in charge of the records. The first county archivist was appointed in 1946, initially on a part-time basis. In the late 1950s the record office moved into new premises in Dartmouth Street.
In 1965 the new Greater London Council took over the record offices of the London County Council and the defunct Middlesex County Council. However they remained in separate premises until 1979, when the Dartmouth Street premises were sold. Both archives were then housed in County Hall. In 1982 the Greater London Record Office moved to a new building in Clerkenwell. In 1986 the Greater London Council was abolished and the record office became the responsibility of the City of London Corporation. Its name was changed to the London Metropolitan Archives in 1997.
Item Descriptions
Fonds. Records of the Middlesex County Record Office, January 1774 - June 1793
Series OB. Records of Middlesex (Old Bailey) Sessions, January 1774 - June 1793
5 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M581
Subseries OB/C/J. Old Bailey. Calendars of indictments, January 1774 - December 1790
The magistrates at Middlesex Sessions prepared bills of indictment which were presented to the jurors. The jurors then decided if there were enough evidence to put the defendant on trial. If so, the bill of indictment would be annotated 'true bill' and the case would be heard at the gaol delivery sessions at the Old Bailey.
The calendars are arranged alphabetically by the name of the defendant and, under each letter, the order is chronological. Next to the names are annotations, usually abbreviated, such as NG (not guilty), GD (gaol delivery), 'G. House of Correction', 'G. Newgate', 'sent to Essex' etc., 'died in gaol', 'indicted in London'. Many entries also record the crime, such as larceny, highway robbery, vagabond and coining, or personal comments, such as 'incorrigible rogue'.
Filmed selectively.
Subseries OB/SB. Old Bailey, Session books, January 1785 - June 1793
4 itemsThe session books contain minutes of proceedings of the trials of Middlesex and Westminster prisoners in Newgate Gaol held under the Commission of Gaol Delivery at the Old Bailey Sessions House. Old Bailey sessions were held eight times a year. The session books record the names of the justices and jurors and defendants, details of the charges, and sentences. From volume 18 onwards, the session books also contain calendars of prisoners in Newgate Gaol, with the verdicts and sentences for each prisoner and in some instances details of transportation arrangements.
Filmed selectively.
Fonds. Official Records of County of Middlesex
62 itemsSeries MA. Administration, 10 May 1862 - 1 September 1874
12 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M3087
Subseries MA/G. Prisons, 10 May 1862 - 1 September 1874
1 itemNew Prison, Clerkenwell, 10 May 1862 - 1 September 1874 (File MA/G/CLE 204-6200)
6 itemsPapers of visiting justices.
Filmed selectively.
Governor, House of Dentention, to Visiting Justices, 10 May 1862 (Item 995)
Removal of prisoner D.C. Patterson to Australia; refusal of Inspector E. Ryan of Melbourne Police Force to remove prisoner.
H. Waddington (Home Office) to Clerk to Visiting Justices, 19 May 1862 (Item 1023a)
Case of D.C. Patterson; his removal ordered by Duke of Newcastle; question of reimbursement for expense while at House of Detention.
Suter, Austin & Co. to Committee of Visitors, 1 September 1872 (Item 4876)
Sends list of institutions supplied with Australian and New Zealand meat.
Series MJ. Court in Session, 1787 - 1867
5 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M3087
Subseries MJ/SPT. Transportation Papers, 1787 - 1867
4 itemsFilmed selectively.
Note stating that Horah Sarah, Ann Farmer, Susannah Mason and Jane Field to be transported to eastern coast of N.S.W (1p.), 1787 (File 4/6)
Return showing amount paid by Treasurer of County of Middlesex for conveyance of prisoners under sentence of transportation (22pp.), 31 December 1836 - 1 July 1837 (File 5/1)
Gives name, where tried, from where conveyed, to where conveyed, amount paid.
Series OB. Goal Delivery Sessions Records (post 1754)
39 itemsArchival history
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M3104
Subseries OB/CJ. Index to indictments of Middlesex prisoners, January 1791 - November 1832
3 itemsGives name, offence (in general terms eg. larceny, hy. robbery), and date.
Filmed selectively.
Subseries OB/CP. Calendars of Prisoners, Newgate (20 vols.), January 1820 - December 1853
20 itemsGives name, age, trade, by whom and when committed, offence (in detail), and sentence.
Filmed selectively.
Series. Boards of Guardians Records
17 itemsFilmed selectively
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M3104-M3105
Subseries BG/E. Edmondton, 1925
Includes
Correspondence concerning emigration of children from Chase Farm School Enfield (120pp.)
Correspondence with Canadian, New Zealand and Australian High Commissions, Church Army, Dr Barnardo's Homes and Salvation Army. Also consents of parents, lists of children, brochures, Clerk's report to Schools Committee
Subseries Hp. B.G.. Hampstead, 1852 - 1914
2 itemsFilmed selectively.
Subseries C.U.B.. Records of Central Umemployed Body for London, 28 January 1905 - August 1917
10 itemsFilmed selectively.
Biographical / Historical
The Central Unemployed Body for London was set up under the 1905 Unemployed Workmen Act. It established a working colony at Hollesley Bay and temporary working colonies, provided work in London parks, and granted loans to emigrants. Its activities were restricted after 1918 and it was abolished in 1930.
Emigration Committee. Minutebook (319pp.), 20 February 1911 - 6 July 1914 (File 30)
p.37/8 and 129/30 do not exist
Emigration Committee. Minutebook (36pp.), 23 March 1914 - 3 May 1915 (File 31)
The minutes are quite detailed, containing statistics, recording interviews and deputations, and summarizing correspondence. References to Australia and New Zealand are more numerous in the later volumes.
Emigration Committee. Report file. No. 4a. (c.235pp.), September 1912 - November 1913 (File 32)
The file comprises statistics, estimates and statements of expenditure, matters referred by and decisions of Finance Committee, lists of cases considered, posters, and papers concerning British Immigration League of Australia.
Sailing register (86pp.), January 1912 - July 1915 (File 133)
Arranged by borough, register gives name, age, number, relationship of dependents, destination, date of sailing, occupation, special qualifications, cost of outfit, cost of passage, landing money, total expenditure and remarks. Most of emigrants sailed to Australia, destinations including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Auckland, Dunedin, Gisborne and Wanganui.