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Find your family's crime records

Discover the lawbreakers (and makers) in your family tree with millions of online prison registers, court reports and criminal mugshots.

Prisoner's hands gripping prison cell bars

England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935

Our flagship crime collection from The National Archives includes 5.7 million records, covering over a century of British crime history. Unlock unsavoury details on your criminal ancestors. Find out the crimes they committed, their sentences and details of their life behind bars. You may even see the 'black sheep' of your family staring back at you from an old mugshot. This jaw-dropping collection of family records is only available online at Findmypast.

3 quick tips for delving into your family's crime records

Felonious forebears

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Now vs. then

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Extra! Extra! Check the papers

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Findmypast's newspapers confirmed my suspicions when they revealed that my relative was imprisoned for fraud!

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