Coverage - Scotland's Criminal Database
Scotland's Criminal Database includes an index to all surviving High Court Precognitions and Trial Papers between 1790 and 1919, an index to the Crown Counsel Procedure Books from 1822-1879, and a large selection of prison registers. We have also began adding Sheriff Court criminal records to the database. All in all, the database currently amounts to 953,772 entries.
Search Scotland's Criminal Database
High Court Criminal Records
The High Court index contains the names of all the accused and also details of victims in many of the cases. It includes all surviving High Court Precognitions and Trial Papers between the years 1790 and 1919, amounting to 139,529 entries in all. You can find out more about these fascinating records in our Learning Zone.
Sheriff Court Criminal Records
As well as the High Court trial records mentioned above, we have began indexing Sheriff Court Criminal Records. This index now contains 11,639 entries. Here is a list of those indexed so far:
Banff: Record of Jury Trials 1835-1858, 1869
Duns: Record of Jury Trials 1883-1919
Kirkcudbright: Record of Criminal Trials (Summary) 1834-1849
Peebles: Record of Criminal Trials (Summary and Jury) 1758-1810
Peebles: Criminal Processes (Jury Trials) 1853-1894
Selkirk: Record of Criminal Trials (Summary and Jury) 1832-1850
Selkirk: Criminal Processes (Summary and Jury Trials) 1813-1860
Pardoned or Ticket of Leave Criminals on New Charges
We have indexed 6,431 entries from the Pardoned or Ticket of Leave Criminals on New Charges Books so far, covering the period from when the record begins in 1855 through to 1895. More entries will be added shortly.
Crown Counsel Procedure Books
We have indexed 153,989 entries from the Crown Counsel Procedure Books so far, covering the period from when the record begins on 7 April 1822 up to 31 December 1879. More entries will be added shortly.
Prison Registers
The database also includes 642,184 prison register entries. Many of our ancestors spent a night in jail, some spent longer. The information is truly valuable as the full entries often give places of birth which may not be available anywhere else as well as giving personal details such as eye colour!
Find out more about prison registers in our Learning Zone.
Here is a list of the prison registers we have indexed so far. If you can’t see the one you need please get in touch with our genealogists, Graham and Emma Maxwell.
Aberdeen Prison 1836-1839, 1879-1880, 1884, 1888-1911, 1916-1918
Ayr Prison 1888-1905
Banff Prison 1848-1878
Campbeltown Prison 1840-1882
Cromarty Prison 1841-1871
Dumbarton Prison 1828-1847, 1871-1883
Dumfries/Maxwelltown Prison 1841-1936
Dumfries Prison (Civil) 1841-1880
Dunbar Prison 1844-1878
Dundee Prison 1900-1908, 1911-1914, 1922-1927
Edinburgh (Bridewell) 1814-1835
Edinburgh (Calton Jail) 1841, 1848-1851, 1858
Edinburgh (Lock-up House) 1826-1836, 1848-1850
Edinburgh (Police Prison) 1841
Fort William 1849-1880
Glasgow (Barlinnie) Prison 1891, 1900, 1901-1903, 1916, 1918, 1921
Glasgow (Duke Street) Prison 1845-1878, 1884-1885 (males), 1887-1895 (males)
Greenlaw Prison 1840-1862
Greenock Prison 1859-1864, 1870, 1879-1885, 1888-1889, 1930
Hamilton Prison 1828-1841
Helensburgh Prison 1855-1878
Inveraray Prison 1828-1841, 1848-1873
Jedburgh Prison 1811-1841, 1843-1869
Jessiefield Borstal (Maxwelltown) 1912-1926
Kelso Prison 1844-1862
Kirkcudbright Prison 1791-1811, 1815-1826, 1841-1883
Kirkcudbright Prison (Civil) 1841-1882
Lanark Prison 1848-1881
Leith Police Prison 1842-1848
Linlithgow Prison 1844-1851
Maxwelltown (Old) Prison 1840-1874
Musselburgh Prison 1852-1861
Paisley Prison 1848-1882
Peebles Prison 1848-1862
Perth Prison 1916
Port Glasgow Prison 1848-1855
Rothesay Prison 1877-1882
Selkirk Prison 1828-1840, 1853-1878
Stirling Prison 1828-1840
Stranraer Prison 1840-1883
Tobermory Prison (Civil) 1872-1882
Wick Prison 1848-1882
Wigtown Prison 1840-1875
Wigtown Prison (Civil) 1841-1882