Chartist Ancestors
What did your family to in the revolution?

Millions signed the three great Chartist petitions of 1839 to 1848. Thousands were active in those years in the campaign to win the vote, secret ballots, and other democratic rights that we now take for granted.

Chartist Ancestors lists many of those who risked their freedom, and sometimes their lives, because of their participation in the Chartist cause. The names included on the site are drawn from newspapers, court records and books of the time, from later histories and other sources.

I would like to thank the many historians, researchers and the descendents of those associated with Chartism who have helped with this site since it was launched in 2003.

Mark Crail
Site editor

How to...
Make the most of your visit to an archive or records office

Research your trade union ancestors

Find Chartist records in the National Archives

© Mark Crail

Research guide
Chartism in the National Archives

Whether you are planning a visit to the National Archives at Kew in West London to research further or are simply curious about what public records are available on Chartism, National Archives source sheet 5 is an invaluable aid.

The document lists by department the principal files, offering both the reference number you will need to get the original and some idea of the content. The fact sheet is Crown copyright and is reproduced here with the permission of of Controller of HMSO.

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Sources relating to Chartism in the National Archives
Source Sheet No. 5

Source sheets provide a list of references on popular topics. These lists are not comprehensive but provide the basis for esearch among the records. Where the references are to whole series of records, you must consult the lists (catalogues) of those series to identify individual documents of interest. These are available online or in hard copy in the Research Enquiries Room. To search for any material not included here, you need to consult the online catalogue. Leaflets are available which describe a wide range of sources in TNA and so may prove valuable in your research.

ASSIZE
ASSI
Material relating to the trials of Chartists will be found in various ASSI series. Please refer to the information leaflet L014.

BOARD OF TRADE
BT 41/136/790
Companies Registration Office Files of Joint Stock Companies. Includes the names and addresses of the directors of the Chartist Co-operative Land Company.

BT 41/474/2659
Contains an alphabetical list of the names and subscribers to the National Land Company.

BT 41/475/2659
Includes a record of withdrawals from the list of directors and contains a return of the proposed capital of the National Land Company.

BT 41/476/2659
Contains a return of the names of the additional subscribers to the National Land Company.

CHANCERY
C 36/574
Petition relating to the winding up of the National Land Company.

C 54/14661
Close Roll. Includes material relating to the winding up of the National Land Company.

C 121/401
Documents relating to the case of William Goodchap (official manager of the National Land Company) vs John Weaving, William Pinnock and Feargus O'Connor.

HOME OFFICE
HO 6/22-25
Judges' and Recorders' Returns. Includes letters from prison governors and material relating to recommendations for mercy. 1837-1840.

HO 8/51-114
1837-1852.

HO 9/10-16
Convict Prison Hulks: Registers and Letter Books. Registers of the convicts in the hulks. 1837-1849.

HO 10/31-62
Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania: Records. Lists of convicts and former convicts that give details as to their sentences, employment, settlement in the country, the land and cattle acquired by them, lists of pardons granted, and general musters. 1837-1853.

HO 11/11-17
Convict Transportation Registers. Lists of convicts transported in various ships. 1837-1852.

HO 12
Criminal Department: Old Criminal (OC) Papers. Contains original letters, memorials and other papers relating to criminal matters.

HO 12/2/81
Contains material relating to the imprisonment of many Chartists, including Ernest Jones. It includes reports on the prisoners, returns of Chartist prisoners, petitions and memorials asking for pardons and material relating to the granting of pardons. Researchers should refer to the HO 45 series list for relevant paper numbers. 1848 onwards.

HO 13/70-101
Criminal Entry Books. Entry books of out-letters, warrants and pardons. 1837-1852.

HO 16/6-9
Returns of committals for trial at the Old Bailey and Central Criminal Court. 1835-1849.

HO 20/10
Interviews with 73 Chartist prisoners. Includes information regarding crime and conviction, diet, attitude of prisoner and comments from prison inspectors. 1840-1841.

HO 23
Registers of County Prisons. Registers of prisoners in various county prisons. 1847-1866.

HO 24
Prison Registers and Returns. Registers of prisoners in Millbank, Parkhurst and Pentonville prisons. 1838-1875.

HO 26/43-55
Criminal Registers, Middlesex. A register of all persons charged with indictable offences giving details of the results of the trial, the sentence in case of conviction and dates of execution of persons sentenced to death. 1837-1849.

HO 27/53-102
Criminal Registers, England and Wales. See HO 26. The list is arranged in alphabetical order of county. 1837-1852.

HO 40/36-59
Disturbances: Correspondence and Papers 1838-1855.

HO 41/13-19
Disturbance Entry Books 1837-1852.

HO 41/26
Disturbance Entry Books, London 1820-1848.

HO 43/52-83
Domestic Entry Books. Contains out-letters to judges, magistrates and officials, police authorities and private persons on matters of local administration and justice. 1837-1852.

HO 44
Domestic Correspondence from 1773 to 1860. This series contains incoming Home Office domestic correspondence and reflects the varied responsibilities of the Home Secretary's Office. An index to this series has been compiled.

HO 45
Registered Papers. This series contains similar material to HO 44 is arranged under a number of subject headings. Researchers interested in Chartism should search for references in the following categories: Chartists, Commissions and Committees; Disturbances; Strikes etc. 1839 to 1979.

HO 48
Law Officers' Reports, Opinions and Correspondence. Contains material relating to cases, petitions, various points of law, interpretations of statutes etc. 1782-1871.

HO 50
Military Correspondence. This series contains correspondence from military departments and includes information relating to matters of internal defence. 1835-1837.

HO 50/15
Commander-in-Chief's correspondence.

HO 50/16
Military Correspondence. Militia correspondence.

HO 50/376
Military Correspondence. Ordnance correspondence 1831-1837.

HO 51/33-37
Military Entry Books. Correspondence regarding the militia. 1832­1853.

HO 51/96-99
Military Entry Books. Correspondence regarding the Volunteers. 1834-1855.

HO 52/33-47
Counties Correspondence. Includes original correspondence and papers from magistrates and other authorities relating to the maintenance of public order. 1837-1850.

HO 61
Metropolitan Police Correspondence. Contains original correspondence from the Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police relating to the administration of the force. 1820-1840.

HO 64/7-10
Criminal (Rewards and Pardons) Correspondence and Secret Reports. 1837-1840.

HO 65
Police Entry Books, Series I. This series contains entry books of out-letters relating to police forces in England, Wales and Scotland. 1795-1921.

HO 73/52
Various Commissions: Records and Correspondence. Material relating to the Poor Law Commission. Contains two copies of the Northern Star (2 December 1837 and 16 December 1837) and letters relating to various Anti-Poor Law disturbances. 1837.

HO 75
Copies of Hue and Cry and Police Gazette 1837.

HO 79
Private and Secret Entry Books. Entry books of out-letters relating to secret service, postal censorship, alleged criminal acts and other matters of a confidential nature.

HO 100
Ireland: Correspondence and Papers. Includes material on outrages, 1836-1840.

HO 102
Scotland, Correspondence and Papers. Contains material on treasonable practices.

HO 103
Scotland: Domestic Entry Books.

HO 104
Scotland: Criminal Entry Books.

METROPOLITAN POLICE
MEPO 2/59
Miscellaneous correspondence & public notices relating to meetings and disturbances 1830-1867.

MEPO 2/61
Chartist Riots at Birmingham 1839.

MEPO 2/63
Kensington Common 1848.

MEPO 2/64
Trafalgar Square 1848.

MEPO 2/65
Swearing in of special constables; protection of public buildings 1848.

MEPO 2/66
Police conduct: complaints against 1848.

MEPO 2/67
Police conduct: appreciation of 1848.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
MH 12
Poor Law Unions and Local Authorities. Contains correspondence of the Poor Law Commission with poor law unions and other local authorities. The list is arranged alphabetically by county and name of poor law union.

MH 13
General Board of Health and Local Government Act Office Correspondence. Contains correspondence with local authorities and government departments relating to the provision of public health.

MH 32
Poor Law Commissioners and Inspectors Correspondence. Contains the correspondence of the Poor Law Commission with assistant poor law commissioners and poor law inspectors.

PRISON COMMISSION
PCOM 1/35-64
Old Bailey Sessions Papers. Contains material relating to trials at the Old Bailey. 1836-1852.

PCOM 2
Prison Records: Series 1. Includes prisoner registers for Millbank, Pentonville, Portsmouth, Newgate, Liverpool, Durham, Derby, Wigan, Norwich, Reading, Stafford, Winchester, Birmingham prisons in the Chartist period.

PCOM 3-5
Contains captions (copies of the orders of the courts at which the prisoners were convicted), transfer papers recording transfers from one penal establishment to another, and licenses.

PCOM 6
Contains the register to the licenses mentioned above.

PALATINATE OF LANCASTER
PL 26
Indictment Files. Includes material relating to Chartist trials held in Lancashire.

PL 27
Depositions. Also contains material relating to Chartist trials.

TREASURY SOLICITOR
TS 11/135
Chartism in London 1848.

TS 11/135
Chartism in Bingley 1848.

TS 11/136
Chartism in Bingley 1848.

TS 11/136
Chartism in London 1848.

TS 11/137
Chartism in Manchester 1848.

TS 11/138-141
Chartism in London 1848.

TS 11/142
Chartism in London and Manchester 1848.

TS 11/142
Chartism in Birmingham 1848.

TS 11/496-505
Chartist Disturbances at Newport 1848.

TS 11/596-602
Staffordshire riots, (collection of Chartist correspondence) 1842.

TS 11/813-817
Yorkshire riots, Warwickshire riots, Bradford Chartists, Birmingham riots, torchlight meetings at Bury, trials at Liverpool Assizes, Rex v O'Connor c. 1838-1840.

TS 11/1034
Regina v J.R.Stephens and others for training to military exercises 1839.

TS 11/1075-1076
Rioting in Yorkshire 1842.

TS 11/1119
Regina v John James Bezer for sedition.

TS 36/24
Frost, Williams and Jones 1839-1840.

TS 36/26-32
Chartist prosecutions in Chester, Staffordshire and Lancashire including trial of Feargus O'Connor 1842.

TS 36/40-46
Chartist prosecutions in Chester, London and Liverpool 1848.

WAR OFFICE
WO 30/81
Miscellaneous papers relating to defence, c.1776-1870. Includes material relating to defence of London in 1848.

WO 30/111
Various folders including one entitled 'The Chartist Riots'. 1848.

OTHER MATERIAL
MR 1/641
Map of the Chartist settlement at Snigs End.

MR 1/104
Map of the Chartist Settlement at Lowbands.

MR 1/105
Map of the Chartist settlement at O'Connorville.

ZHC 2
Hansard's Printed Parliamentary Debates (House of Commons).

ZPER 34
Illustrated London News. Copies of newspapers containing information relating to Chartist activity.

Parliamentary Papers
Parliamentary Papers are available on open access in the Microfilm Reading Room. A CD-ROM index to this series is available for use in the Library.

The Times
The Times is available on open access in the Microfilm Reading Room. A CD-ROM index to this series is available for use in the Library.

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