Ireland Gaol (Jail) Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains records for the years 1798-1928.

The records of Irish jails and their prisoners are handwritten on preprinted forms and are generally well-preserved. Approximately 90 percent of the records are general registers that could include any of the following lists and registers:


 * General Registers
 * Male Registers
 * Female Registers
 * Description Registers
 * Drunken Registers
 * Military Prisoners and Convicts
 * Lunatics
 * Prisoners committed for trial
 * Prisoners suspected or known to be discharged convicts •Convicted prisoners’ offences and punishments
 * Convict classifications
 * Convict transportations

The remaining ten percent consist of indexes, court records, and administrative reports.

As soon as jails were opened, their officials began keeping records of the inmates. Beginning in 1836, the jails were overseen by the Government Prisons Office and the Office of Inspector-General of Prisons. Their supervision continued until 1880. The General Prisons Board assumed the supervision for the years 1877 through 1928. The jails were required to send copies of their administrative reports to the appropriate government offices. The National Archives of Ireland has the records of more than 40 prisons and other penal institutions. It is unknown what percentage of the population is covered by these records.

Record Content


Irish jail registers usually contain the following information:


 * Name
 * Inmate number
 * Date of commitment
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Reputed crime of the accused
 * Sentence
 * Release or disposal date

Some registers may also include the following


 * Physical description
 * Religion
 * Education
 * Marital status
 * Birthplace
 * Last residence

Indexes usually contain the following


 * Name
 * Inmate number
 * Year of commitment

How to Use the Records
Before you begin your search, you will need to know which jail your ancestor was confined in. If the jail’s records have an index, search the index first. The inmate number will help you to locate the inmate in the registers. Keep in mind that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

The age listed can be used to determine a birth date. The last residence and occupation lead you to court and census records that may have information on parents and siblings. The religion and marital status will lead you to church records such as baptism and marriage.

You may also want to search for court records as they may have additional information about your ancestor such as other residences along with names of witnesses, neighbors, and distant relatives.

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Frame number" category which takes you to the images

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look in the indexes; they will help safe time in your browsing.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.

Related Web Sites

 * Genealogy Toolkit on Irish Prison Registers
 * National Archives
 * What Jail Birds were Nesting on Your Family Tree?
 * Ireland Maps

Related Wiki Articles

 * Ireland, Prison Registers (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Ireland Court Records
 * Ireland History
 * Ireland
 * Ireland Census
 * Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: