VPRS 516 Central Register of Female Prisoners

This series comprises registers created by the Penal and Gaols Branch to record the registration number, name and personal details of female prisoners in custody in Victorian gaols. There is a one page entry for each prisoner. At the top of each page is recorded the prisoners registration number and full name. There are fields to record the following information which provides a personal description of the prisoner: height, weight, complexion, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, eyebrows, visage, forehead, date of birth, native place, trade, religion, read or write. There are also spaces in which to record details of the prisoners offence and sentence: sentence, date of conviction, offence, where tried and before whom. There are several fields for this information, so that subsequent convictions can be recorded on the same page, using the prisoners original registration number. There are fields for Particular Marks (eg, scars, birthmarks, etc) and Previous History (this generally records information such as how and when the prisoner came to the colony/State). On the bottom half of the page there are fields titled: At what station (ie to which gaol the prisoner was admitted), When received, Offences, sentences &c (here the prisoners discharge date is often recorded, eg [date] Freedom by time or Freedom by remission). There are also columns where extensions of the prisoners sentence (either by a Visiting Justice or the Superintendent) are recorded, in months and days. In the bottom left hand corner there is a space for the Half Yearly Report. This has the following fields: Date, Superintendents, Favourable, Unfavourable, Days absent &c, Attendance at school as monitor. This Report does not appear to have been filled out for the majority of the prisoners in this series. There are no central government records relating to female prisoners prior to 1855. The earlier records of female prisoners may be found in the records of the penal institutions, hulks and other prisons, in existence at the time.