Has your ancestor disappeared from the Tennessee records usually searched? You may be lucky enough to discover that he committed a crime between 1831 and 1870 and was incarcerated in the Tennessee State Penitentiary in Davidson County, Tennessee. The penitentiary records on individual convicts are a treasure trove describing the appearance of the convict, where he had lived, where his relatives lived at the time, the crime he had committed and his sentence. A searchable index to the Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 is available on the Genealogy Index Search Site.
These records have been published in "Tennessee Convicts, Early Records of the State Penitentiary Volume 1 (1831 - 1850)" compiled by Charles A. and Tomye M. Sherrill and in "Volume 2 (1851 - 1870)" compiled by Charles A. Sherrill.
The following is excerpted from the entry on "James Barker":
'...was received into the Penitentiary the 18 March, 1832. He is 17 years old, 5'5" high, weight 116 lbs., blue eyes, fair hair and skin. He has a large scar on the left knee, on the cap... The big toe and the next toe to it, on both feet have grown together about half way from the foot to their ends." It continues on to list where his parents and married sister live, his crime of grand larceny, his sentence and eventual release date - delayed due to "bad conduct".'
Wouldn't you love to have information this detailed on other, more law abiding, ancestors?
These records have been published in "Tennessee Convicts, Early Records of the State Penitentiary Volume 1 (1831 - 1850)" compiled by Charles A. and Tomye M. Sherrill and in "Volume 2 (1851 - 1870)" compiled by Charles A. Sherrill.
The following is excerpted from the entry on "James Barker":
'...was received into the Penitentiary the 18 March, 1832. He is 17 years old, 5'5" high, weight 116 lbs., blue eyes, fair hair and skin. He has a large scar on the left knee, on the cap... The big toe and the next toe to it, on both feet have grown together about half way from the foot to their ends." It continues on to list where his parents and married sister live, his crime of grand larceny, his sentence and eventual release date - delayed due to "bad conduct".'
Wouldn't you love to have information this detailed on other, more law abiding, ancestors?
