Genealogy: Researching Prison and Court Records

Prison and court records can tell you a lot about your ancestors and their lives, from legal battles to criminal activity. They can provide a variety of information for your family history research. 

We will look at records on everything from petty theft to illegal poaching to declaring someone’s husband dead. The scope includes England, Ireland, Australia, and Canada.  

Andrea Lister is focused on researching and sharing community history. She has been writing, editing, and teaching about sharing history for more than two decades. She works as a freelance editor and researcher.