We are pleased to announce the release of records for HMP Barlinnie, Glasgow, covering the years 1882 to 1899. Over 180,000 admission register entries are now available to search online for the first time, along with over two thousand rare prisoner photographs.
This release is the latest in an ongoing schedule of providing online access to prison records. Registers for Perth (General) Prison, Largs Jail and Edinburgh's Bridewell and Calton Prison are also accessible on the site.
The prisoner photographs cover the years 1882 to 1891. These were taken on the day of the prisoner's liberation, but only a select few were captured by camera. Most of these men served sentences of only a few days for petty offences.
Example page from the Barlinnie prisoner photograph album available to view on Scotland’s People.
Crown copyright, NRS, HH21/7/97 page 218
Barlinnie opened in Glasgow in 1882 and had a reputation as a tough prison. Inmates carried out hard labour, breaking rocks from a local quarry. Punishments for misbehaviour were harsh.
Prison records are an excellent resource for social history research. You may even track down your own relatives in these records, and – in some cases – find a photograph of your ancestor.
These photographs are a fantastic resource for researchers. Scotland’s People now allows you to put faces to names in a way that isn’t possible for other records.
While Barlinnie did hold some people convicted of serious crimes, most prisoners were serving short sentences. The most common entries are for petty offences such as minor thefts and drunkenness.
You can read a more detailed article describing the history of Barlinnie prison, with details of inmates and their offences.
The Prison registers record guide will give you tips on searching the records and what type of information these registers contain.