Whiles, in gauin throu a census, fowk haes fund a forebear recordit amang the presonars held in a jyle, but daein a bittie time wisna as uncommon as we micht think. The laws wis faur mair sair in thae aulder times an the war nae community service, sae ordnar fowk affen fund thairsels on the wrang side o the law. Fowk wis affen the waur o drink an this cuid land them afore a bailie or shirra coort, but jist as affen a hungert mou staw hauf a loaf or an aipple aff a mercat barra, or anither body’s claes hingin on a line. Gin ye cuidna pey the fine ye haed tae dae the time, sae fowk cuid get liftit an gien the jyle for mony sma things. Mair serious acts, sic as murder, cuid see a body pit tae deith or sent ootland til Austrailie. The national register-hoose in Embra haes an online catalogue that leets mony o the criminal cases brocht afore the Coort o Session or shirra coorts an noo mony o the buiks an papers fae the big jyles in Scotland is stertin tae find thair wey intae the same register-hoose, jyles like the anes in Perth an Glesca. The registers o thir jyles affen comprehend forms wi the parteeclars o the presonar, thair sentence, an jottings anent thair behaviour, an some even haes photies stertin fae the 1870’s an 1880’s. Gin ye think ye micht hae a forebear that got liftit an done a bittie time, speir at the national register-hoose in Embra, or hae a raik throu the newspapers o the time as thay affen reportit whit fowk haed been brocht afore the coorts.

Anither place whaur a forebear cuid land up wis in the hospital. Hospitals as we ken them the day dates maistly fae the 19t century an ilka toun an city haed some kind o institute o this ilk. The war hospitals kent as asylums whaur mony auld fowk landit up an mony o the registers can be seen tae this day, tho thay maun be ower a parteeclar date afore a body can see them as patients recordit in them micht be in life yet. A guid puckle o registers, apairt fae gien the ordnar parteeclars o the patient, will affen comprehend a photie or photies as this wis aince common custom throu the late 1800’s tae the 1920’s an 1930’s. Gin ye think ye micht hae a forebear that attendit a hospital speir first at yer regional cooncil as the registers o health buirds is affen tae be fund in a regional or city register-hoose.