HM Prison, Birmingham

[sooties]

I wonder if anyone could help me find out why an ancestor of mine was listed as being in HM Prison, Birmingham (Winson Green)in the 1891 census. His name was Peter Cunningham and he was born in Birmingham in 1866. His parents were John and Mary Cunningham (originally from Ireland) - not sure whereabouts - that's what I have to find out next! Thank you.

[JBee]

Don't know what he might have done but possibly .....................................

There was a webpage about drinking problems in Birmingham that showed photo's and names of those barred from pubs in the city - can't recall where I saw it though or what the timeframe was.

Anyone?????

[Elaine ..Spain]

Are you thinking of this one on Ancestry ... Birmingham Pub Blacklist 1903-1906

[sooties]

I think he died in 1895, so the Birmingham Pub Blacklist was long after he'd died. But thanks anyway.

[Elaine ..Spain]

The Birmingham Daily Post is in the 19th Century British Library Newspaper Collection - but I can't see any reference to him there.

[Mary from Italy]

I've had a look at the England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 on Ancestry; there are quite a few Peter Cunninghams, but none of the right age tried in Warwickshire. There was one tried in Worcestershire, which is closish, but the sentence was too short for him still to have been in jail in 1891.

[Little Nell]

Hallo and welcome Sooties!

You'd need to find his entry in the prison register first. That's probably - if it survives - in the Birmingham Archives. It should give you enough info to find reports of the trial in the newspapers.

[sooties]

Thanks to everyone.

[Mike Fisher]

Birmingham Post 14 July 1891
Peter Cunningham 25 of 7 Ct Weaman St gaoled for 14 days drunk and begging in Dale End Saturday night,
said he wasn't drunk but suffering from a "nervous sensation"

[Mike Fisher]

similar in 1892 but said he suffered from fits

[Elaine ..Spain]

I missed those Mike - I think I searched with a cut off date of April 1891 which was the month the census was taken.

[sooties]

tHAT'S VERY INTERESTING, THANK YOU.