Are you related to a murderer? Old criminal records online uncover dark secrets in the family tree

The release of more than 2.5m historical criminal records online will make finding the black sheep of your family much easier. The records of criminals from England and Wales hold the grizzly details of murderers, drunks and robbers from 1770 to 1934. The documents, made available by findmypast.co.uk, include court papers, mug shots and registers from prison ships. It will enable genealogists to find out what dark secrets lurk in their family history.

Gallery View:Are you related to a murderer? Old criminal records online uncover dark secrets in the family tree
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  1. A shocking report from the
  2. Habitual Drunkards were forbidden from purchasing or drinking from pubs and licensed bars. Eliza Spratt, was convicted in 1905 and is said to frequent Canning Town
  3. Barnett Silverman, who is described as having
  4. The record describes Jessie Phillp
  5. Dolly Smith, who is a 'Habitual Drunkard' goes by the alias was Dolorato Tamburro. She was convicted in 1907 (findmypast)
  6. A selection of
  7. Among this collection of Victorian thieves and petty criminals is George Branch (bottom left), who admitted housebreaking and larceny in 1882 and was sentenced to 7 years of penal servitude.
  8. This collection of offenders from the 1880s features one criminal, bottom left, who has a missing finger on his right hand. The criminal, who offence is unknown, holds up his missing digit for a priso

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