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Archive Collections at HHC: Crime & Punishment

Guide to material held at Hull History Centre arranged by research theme, record creator and document type, with copies of published source guides.

On this page:

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil”

Sophocles, Antigone 

Crime and Punishment

Research Themes Supported

Hull History Centre holds significant collections on subjects related to crime and punishment. Such collections can aid research into many areas including:

  • Miscarriages of Justice
  • Theft and Anti-social Behaviours
  • Quarter Sessions Courts
  • Magistrates Court
  • Witness Testimony
  • Sentencing
  • Law Enforcement
  • Punishment of Debt and Bankruptcy
  • Protest, Civil Rights and Police

Typical Record Formats

Crime and punishment records commonly include court session minutes, court order books, witness and accused statements, subject files of correspondence and notes etc., bonds and receipts, calendars of prisoners, committee reports.

Key collections

The following collections have significant research potential in the area of crime and punishment:

  • Minutes and Papers of the Courts of Quarter Sessions for the Town and Corporation of Hull (C CQA and C CQB)
  • Records of Hull Magistrates Court (C DPM)
  • Records of the Association of Chief Police Officers (reference U DPO)

Further collections

The following PDF contains a list of HHC collections that may be useful to researchers interested in various aspects of crime and punishment.

Additional supporting material

The following material may also be useful when researching this area:

  • Local newspapers, available on microfilm or via the British Newspaper Archive Online – court sessions and individual case outcomes have long been reported on in newspapers.
  • Local Studies and historical maps – these can help trace the development of buildings such as workhouses, prisons and courts, and can help identify where individuals lived and crimes took place if a street is no longer in existence.