Inveraray Jail

Our local Court was that at Inveraray, which also covered most of Argyll and the Islands.
This facility is now a highly popular tourist resort.

some of our convicts
INVERARAY JAIL - PRISONER RECORDS @ http://www.inverarayjail.co.uk/
By tradition and history 'the county town Argyll, Inveraray's courthouse and prisons, designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1813, after original plans by Robert Reid in 1807, opened in 1820 - Whilst Reid's original plans had included a courthouse and three prisons - one for males, one for females and one for debtors - The Prison Commissioners, lacking finances, had to be content with building only the courthouse and but one prison, eight cells contained in its two floors - Following the 1839 Prisons (Scotland) Act, a second prison, separating men and women and designed by Thomas Brown of Edinburgh, was opened at the end of 1848, the new three-storied prison having twelve cells, an exercise gallery and a pair of outdoor exercise yards, the idea of separating male and female prisoners stemming from the somewhat misguided persuasion that such a system gave prisoners time to reflect up on their sins !
After the passing of the 1877 Prisons (Scotland) Act, the responsibility for the running and financing prisons taken away from local authorities, small local prisons were successively closed in favour of large prisons, such as Glasgow's 1882-built Barlinnie Prison and though Inveraray's jail, the last of the small prisons, was closed on August 31, 1889, courts continued to sit in Inveraray's courthouse until around 1954.
After an extensive programme of restoration was undertaken by The Scottish Office in the 1980's, the building then lying empty for some years, Inveraray Jail was opened to the public as a 'visitor attraction' in May 1989 and the records of more than 4,000 of its Victorian prisoners put online for the interest of family history researchers.
While some may prefer to 'trawl' Inveraray Jail's own list of prisoner records at http://www.inverarayjail.co.uk/prisonrecords/all.asp the entries here have been sorted by 'town' or village or parish, some spellings and names sometimes differing slightly from those in use today and the surnames, in the case of each 'town' or village or parish entry, are then listed in alphabetical order, it thus easier for researchers to gain a quick overview of 'goings ons' in particular areas or even in particular families in these areas !

SOME USEFUL SCOTTISH LINKS http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/crime.asp
and SOME MORE GENERAL LINKS
http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/index.php/The_English_Legal_System

To find out each persons Convict record enter the name in to the search box on this link http://www.inverarayjail.co.uk/our-history/
search not working … try this http://87.106.105.143/inverarayjail/index.php

We have some of these printed out in the archive.

To find court records you need to look in the NAS in Edinburgh.

http://www.inverarayjail.co.uk/our-history/
https://www.scribd.com/document/6358354/Inveraray-Jail-Prisoner-Records

CAMERON, John Theft & Forgery Ardchattan
CUNNINGHAM, Dugald Assault Ardchattan
HARRIES, William Malicious Mischief Ardchattan
MacKENZIE, Hugh Assault Ardchattan
McCORQUODALE, Hugh Breach of the peace Ardchattan
McLAURIN, Duncan Rape or Assault with intent to ravish Ardchattan
McPHERSON, Duncan Assault Ardchattan

BARCLAY, Joseph Theft of money Ardentinny (may not be ours)
FRASER, Donald Night Poaching Ardentinny (may not be ours)

CARMICHAEL or SINCLAIR Agnes ??, Theft of wearing apparel Barravullin

BLACK, Hugh Assault & Breach of peace Benderloch
CAMPBELL , Duncan Drunk & Disorderly Benderloch
McLEAN, Duncan Shebeening Benderloch
McNEILLAGE, Archibald Assault Benderloch
McPhail, Allan Theft of a Sheep or Reset Benderloch
SALMINE, Margaret Child Murder Benderloch (died in Jail)
SINCLAIR, Robert Assault & Breach of peace Benderloch

BURNS, John Theft Bonaw
CAMPBELL or McNICOL, Margaret Assault Bonaw
COLQUHOUN, Angus Housebreaking with intent to steal Bonaw
COLQUHOUN, Malcom Theft a Sheep Bonaw
CONNELL, John Theft Bonaw
CRAWFORD, John Assault Bonaw
DOUGLAS , Neil (1) Drunk & Disorderly (2) Theft of potatoes Bonaw
EWING, Alexander Theft of £1 Bonaw
FLETCHER, Dugald Theft of £1 Bonaw
McCORQUODALE, Alexander Assault Bonaw
McINNES, Catherine Theft Bonaw
McINTYRE, Caroline Theft of 20s 6d Bonaw
McINTYRE, Donald Assault Bonaw
McINTYRE, Margaret Theft of a hen & shirt Bonaw
McNICOL, Donald Assault Bonaw
McNICOL/CAMPBELL, Margaret Assault Bonaw
MILLER, William Assault, Drunk & Disorderly Bonaw
THOMSON, Malcolm Theft of whisky Bonaw
THOMSON, Malcolm Theft of corn Bonaw
THOMSON, Malcom Theft of 6 corn sheaves Bonaw
WHITE, Dugald Assault Bonaw
BELL or McMILLAN, Donald Assault Bonawe
BROWN, George Assault Bonawe
CHAPMAN, Frederick Theft of money Bonawe
CLARK, Donald Opening mail bags Bonawe
COUREY, Thomas Assault & Breach of peace Bonawe
CRAWFORD, Donald Assault to the effusion of blood Bonawe
CRAWFORD, Donald Assault & Previous Convictions Bonawe
DUMVADDIE, John Assault Bonawe
HARRIS, James Assault Bonawe
KEMP, James Assault Bonawe
LARNIE, James Assault & Breach of peace Bonawe
McARTHUR (2), Donald Breach of the peace & Previous Convictions Bonawe
McARTHUR, Donald Breach of the peace Bonawe
McARTHUR, George Falsehood, Fraud & imposition Bonawe
McFARLANE , Donald Breach of Trust Bonawe
McINTYRE, Duncan Assault, Drunk & Disorderly Bonawe
McINTYRE, John Theft by Housebreaking & Previous Convictions Bonawe
McKAY, John Theft of coal Bonawe
McKEACHAN, Archibald Assault & Breach of Peace Bonawe
McMULLEN, William Breach of Peace Bonawe
McNAB, Donald Murder Bonawe
McNIEL, Malcom Theft of coal Bonawe
McPHAIL, Duncan Assault Bonawe
ROBERTSON, William Assault & Breach of peace & Previous Conviction Bonawe
THOM, Ann Theft of a hat Bonawe
THOMSON, Duncan Theft of hay Bonawe
THOMSON, Malcom Theft Bonawe
WHITE, Alexander Assaulting his mother & Malicious Mischief Bonawe
WHYTE, Alexander Malicious Mischief Bonawe

CAMERON, Hugh Theft Connel
COLLINS, Thomas Breach of Peace & Malicious Mischief Connel
GIRVAN, John Malicious Mischief, Assault & Breach of peace Connel
McCULLOCH, Allan Culpable Homicide Connel
McEWAN, Peter Breach of Peace & Malicious Mischief Connel
McINTOSH, John Theft Connel
McKAY, John Assault Connel
McNEVIN, John Assault & Previous Conviction Connel
McPHAIL, Angus Assault Connel
MORGAN, John Breach of Peace & Malicious Mischief Connel
REID, John Malicious Mischief, Assault & Breach of peace Connel
SARLEY, James Breach of Peace & Malicious Mischief Connel

ANDERSON, Thomas Assault with intent Glenorchy
CAMPBELL , Peter Theft Glenorchy
JOHNSTON, Thomas Russell Theft Glenorchy
McDONALD, Alexander Contravention of Act 13 Geo. 3 Cap. 54 Glenorchy
McDOUGALL, Alexander Murder Glenorchy
McNICOL, Ann Theft Glenorchy
McNICOL, Malcolm Malicious Mischief Glenorchy
McPHERSON, Duncan Assault and Malicious Mischief Glenorchy
MULRANE, John Theft of a duck Glenorchy
SWAN (2), Donald Malicious Mischief Glenorchy

CAMPBELL , George Assault Keil
McARTHUR, Donald Assault Keil
McDONALD or McPHAIL, Mary Theft Keil


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