Court, prison and police records

Please note that many of these records will be subject to restricted access under the Data Protection Act. This is likely to affect records less than 100 years old.

Court records

The History Centre holds records of court proceedings and verdicts for the Petty Sessions (and later magistrates courts) and Quarter Sessions (as well as some of the County Courts).

Most Petty Sessions and magistrates court records are listed on our online catalogue. For Quarter Sessions records, please contact us for advice on what we hold.

In some cases in may be easier to find the information you need to by looking through local newspapers, as court cases were often reported in detail.

The most serious crimes were tried as the Assizes. Records of this court are held at The National Archives (opens in a new window) .

Police records

We hold historical records for the Dorset police force, but these are uncatalogued. Please contact us for advice on what we hold.

We also have an index of Dorset police officers 1856-1888 which can be consulted in our searchroom.

Prison records

We hold records for Dorchester prison from the 1780s to the 1980s.

Portland prison was a national, rather than local, prison, so surviving records are held at The National Archives (opens in a new window) .

• Enquiry service
  Name: Dorset History Centre
  Email: archives@dorsetcc.gov.uk
  Tel: 01305 250550
  Fax: 01305 257184
  Full details for Dorset History Centre