The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.49 No.1 | June 2022

Local Group Programmes

the US, we used Australia instead - although some convicts never actually left and were imprisoned on ‘hulk’ boats. Letters of clemency and release still exist – likewise some photographs which show people’s hands as part of the identification process. Criminal register collections for London and the rest of the UK were sent to the Home Office. These are now held in Kew but can be viewed online with Find My Past and Ancestry. The Family Search website also contains many such images – free to view, but un-indexed and grouped by place. To enforce the law in rural areas, initially parish constables were enrolled on an annual basis - they had other jobs and were unpaid but received expenses. In 1829 London’s Metropolitan Police force was founded and, by 1856, all Boroughs were required to have a police presence. Many police records exist from original applications to pension records and their beneficiaries. There is no shortage of resources to find ancestors and stories. Forthcoming Meetings:

Members' Evening The Tolpuddle Martys No meeting in August

June 9th July 14th

content TBA Ron Bryan

August

Death and Taxes: Understanding the Death Duty Registers

September 8th

Basingstoke Meetings normally commence at 7. 30 p.m. and are held on the fourth Wednesday every month (except August and December) at St Michael’s Church Cottage Hall, Church Street. Contact: Email: Notes by Elaine Bye (February) Members’ Evening: Original documents - transcribing workshop (March) Agricultural Labourers – Persis Wiltshire Forthcoming Meetings:

basingstoke@hgs-online.org.uk

Members’ Evening – Railway Ancestors

June 22nd July 27th August 24th

To be confirmed Afternoon Outing

Victorian Crime, Police and Criminals

September 28th

Antony Marr

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