Washington County (R.I.) Jail ledger, 1824-1856

Summary

Creator:

Sherman, J. S., Lillibridge, Edward, Taylor, John N., and Caswell, William G.

Abstract:

The Washington County (R.I.) Jail ledger contains records concerning persons incarcerated in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, from 1824-1856. Included are the prisoners names, reasons for their imprisonment, and dates of their release.

Extent:

1 volume

Language:

English

Sponsor:

Duane Norman Diedrich Collection

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Clements Staff, October 2006, and Meg Hixon, May 2013

Background

Scope and Content:

The Washington County (R.I.) Jail ledger (around 260 pages) contains information about persons incarcerated in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, from January 30, 1824-October 21, 1856. The records are signed by the jailors, or occasionally a sheriff or other official, and include prisoners names, the reasons for their imprisonment (often including the name of a complainant), and the length of their sentences. Additional notes pertain to prisoner escapes and the dates of and reasons for releasing prisoners. The majority of prisoners were men incarcerated for debt, theft, or assault and battery. Some of the incarcerated individuals were women. Most pages contain original numbering; page numbers 142-175 are used twice.

Biographical / Historical:

The first jail in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, was constructed in 1730, and was replaced by a nearby two-story structure in the early 1790s. A new building was subsequently constructed on the site of the second jail. Jailors included J. S. Sherman (1824-1851), Edward Lillibridge (1851-1854), John N. Taylor (1854), and William G. Caswell (1854-1856).

Acquisition Information:

1981. M-1947 .

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Bibliography

Cole, J. R. History of Washington and Kent Counties, Rhode Island, Including Their Early Settlement and Progress to the Present Time; a Description of Their Historic and Interesting Localities; Sketches of Their Towns and Villages; Portraits of Some of Their Prominent Men; and Biographies of Many of Their Representative Citizens. New York: W. W. Preston & Co., 1889.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Crime--United States.
Jails--United States.
Prisoners--United States.

Formats:

Digests (legal documents)

Names:

Rhode Island. Supreme Court.

Places:

South Kingstown (R.I. : Town)
Washington County (R.I.)