Did he die in prison?

[Kay]

I am wondering how to find when/where Alfred Haynes Sargent died. He was sent to debtors prison for bankruptcy in 1858. His wife, Mary (Davidson) ended up in Clapham Surrey in the 1861 & 1871 Census as a widow running a lodging house. How can I find if Alfred died while in prison?

 

[Blackmogs]

Hi Kay (welcome) , do you have the family in the 1851 census before he was imprisoned? If you do could you give us the census reference?

 

[Kay]

They married in 1852 in Clapham Holy Trinity Church. Wasted no time having children, James Davidson Sargent born 1853, Mary Davidson Sargent born 1854, Alfred Haynes Sargent born 1856 and Jane Davidson Sargent born 1857.

Hi Kay (welcome) , do you have the family in the 1851 census before he was imprisoned? If you do could you give us the census reference?

 

[Huncamunca]

FreeBMD has an entry for a death registration in the first quarter of 1859 that's been transcribed as Alfred Ray__ Sargent (the line indicating that the transcriber could not read the end of the name). Might this be your Alfred mistranscribed? The default image on FreeBMD (filename beginning with UKD) is completely illegible but the alternative one (name beginning with ANC) is not too bad. It is hard to make out Alfred's middle name. It could begin with H rather than R, and might have a 'y' in the middle, but that might be wishful thinking on my part.

It might be worth sending for the death certificate in case it is your man though. The reference is Lambeth registration district, volume 1d, page 250.

The entry appears not to be indexed in Ancestry's version of the FreeBMD database. I tried browsing their image files for deaths in this quarter but the relevant page is missing. Perhaps one of the other genealogy data providers has a clearer image?

P.S. oops, forgot to say hello and welcome to the forum

 

[Kay]

FreeBMD has an entry for a death registration in the first quarter of 1859 that's been transcribed as Alfred Ray__ Sargent (the line indicating that the transcriber could not read the end of the name). Might this be your Alfred mistranscribed? The default image on FreeBMD (filename beginning with UKD) is completely illegible but the alternative one (name beginning with ANC) is not too bad. It is hard to make out Alfred's middle name. It could begin with H rather than R, and might have a 'y' in the middle, but that might be wishful thinking on my part.

It might be worth sending for the death certificate in case it is your man though. The reference is Lambeth registration district, volume 1d, page 250.

The entry appears not to be indexed in Ancestry's version of the FreeBMD database. I tried browsing their image files for deaths in this quarter but the relevant page is missing. Perhaps one of the other genealogy data providers has a clearer image?

P.S. oops, forgot to say hello and welcome to the forum

Ok thanks for that info. I know the transcribers do get things wrong at times. I had a Jane Dabney Sargent instead of Davidson on one certificate. Thanks for the welcome, too

 

[Daft Bat]

It is hard to make out Alfred's middle name. It could begin with H rather than R, and might have a 'y' in the middle

Looking at the middle name - very faint - I think that you are right. I can see an H rather than an R and reckon that there is a y in the middle of the name as well.

It might be worth sending for the death certificate in case it is your man though. The reference is Lambeth registration district, volume 1d, page 250.

Absolutely!

 

[Kay]

Yep, think that may be him, as I know he had connections with Lambeth. Still not sure if he died in prison or shortly after he got out but at least have a date now. I wonder how long people were sentenced for when bankrupt? Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Daft Bat]

Prior to 1869 an insolvent debtor could be sent to a debtors prison or separate quarters in a local prison until the debts were cleared or a petition for release was accepted. An insolvent debtor could remain in prison indefinitely based on the creditor having the final decision or if the debts remained uncleared, whilst bankrupt debtors, mainly traders or artisans, could pay the creditors and therefore avoid the courts. The distinction was abolished in 1861 and after 1869 debtors no longer faced imprisonment with all debtors classed as bankrupts. However, a bankrupt could still face imprisonment if found in contempt of court for not paying a creditor when in a position to clear the debt.

Source: genguide.co.uk/

 

[Huncamunca]

Still not sure if he died in prison or shortly after he got out but at least have a date now.

From the London Gazette I see he was 'in the Debtors' Prison for London and Middlesex' in November 1858. Old and New London Vol. 5 (published in 1878) says this was at the City Prison 'at the top of Camden Road, at its junction with Holloway' and built in 1850:
http://www.
british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol5/pp373-388

As the death registration was not in that part of London I'd guess that he did not die in prison - unless there was more than one 'Debtors' Prison for London and Middlesex'.

If you can find a burial record that might help. Otherwise I fear the only way to find out exactly when and where he died is to send off for the certificate.