Search 1921 Crime Records This Findmypast Friday

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Police Gazette, 1921

Spanning the entire year of 1921, the 1921 Police Gazette comprises 152 issues, with 12 or 13 issues being published each calendar month.

The cover of the Police Gazette, issue 132, from November 1921.

Part of Findmypast’s extensive collection of criminal and prison registers, the Police Gazette has a long history, dating as far back as 1772 and taking various aliases. Most famously named Hue and Cry, its purpose was relatively self-explanatory: advertise for wanted criminals across the UK police forces to enable them to catch, convict, and bring to justice the crooks of 1921.

Two sentencing announcements, from November 1921.

With the 1921 Census being delayed until June of that year, the Police Gazette records wanted criminals on either side of the census date, meaning perhaps that some of its wanted criminals can be found within the returns of the census. Crooks being crooks, however, they often went by multiple aliases, or were on the run from the law, making them more difficult to spot.

A portrait of a Herbert Gould, wanted for embezzlement, in October 1921.

This publication has a unique collection of portraits for certain criminals, such as the one above, as well as detailed physical descriptions. It also includes notes, scribbled in red pen, by the police in 1921.

A notice of stolen items next to a notice of a search warrant, written on in red pen by the 1921 police force.

Don’t immediately panic if you find your ancestor within these pages, however: it is not simply hardened criminals that the 1921 Police Gazette records. This publication also included notes about apprehensions of crooks across the UK, and publicised crimes that were reported by citizens, such as thefts and break-ins.

Newspapers

There are five brand new titles this week – three from England, and two from Ireland – and an incredible 72 updated newspapers from all four corners of the UK. Here’s the full list.

New titles:

Bray and South Dublin Herald, 1876, 1878-1886, 1888-1889, 1891-1904, 1908-1909

Irish Emerald, 1881-1888, 1890-1912

Langport & Somerton Herald, 1855, 1857-1896, 1898-1937

Magnet (London)1837-1888

Yorkshire Factory Times, 1905-1910, 1912-1926

Updated titles:

Aldershot News, 1984

Alloa Journal, 1915

Arbroath Guide, 1962

Arbroath Herald and Advertiser for the Montrose Burghs, 1962

Banffshire Advertiser, 1915

Banffshire Herald, 1915

Barking, East Ham & Ilford Advertiser, Upton Park and Dagenham Gazette, 1915

Barrhead News, 1915

Birmingham Daily Gazette, 1875, 1900

Bolton Evening News, 1915

Bromsgrove & Droitwich Messenger, 1915

Bromyard News, 1961

Broughty Ferry Guide and Advertiser, 1962

Cambrian News, 1915

Coalville Times, 1915

Cork Weekly News, 1900

County Down Spectator and Ulster Standard, 1915

County Express, 1915

Crewe Chronicle, 1983

Croydon Times, 1962

Cumberland & Westmorland Herald, 1915

Dalkeith Advertiser, 1962

Deal, Walmer & Sandwich Mercury, 1870-1871, 1873-1879, 1890-1896, 1898-1899

Denbighshire Free Press, 1915

Dublin Weekly News, 1862-1864, 1866-1869, 1871-1874, 1876-1878

Durham County Advertiser, 1915

Evening News (London), 1914

Forres Elgin and Nairn Gazette, Northern Review and Advertiser, 1915

Fulham Chronicle, 1982

Glamorgan Gazette, 1982

Hants and Sussex News, 1914-1915

Herts & Cambs Reporter & Royston Crow, 1915

Highland News, 1915

Huntly Express, 1915

Islington Gazette, 1913

Jersey Evening Post, 1915

Leicester Evening Mail, 1927, 1945

Leven Mail, 1962

Louth Standard, 1953, 1955, 1957-1958, 1960

Lowestoft Journal, 1915

Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle, 1962

Maidenhead Advertiser, 1915

Marylebone Mercury, 1982

Midland Tribune, 1913, 1915

Montrose Standard, 1962

Nantwich Chronicle, 1984

Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 1926-1927

Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland, 1915

Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express, 1914-1915

Nuneaton Observer, 1915

Oban Times, and Argyllshire Advertiser, 1878

Orcadian, 1915

Petersfield Express, 1865

Port-Glasgow Express, 1962

Porthcawl Guardian, 1962

Reading Standard, 1962

Ross Gazette, 1915

Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 1915

Scottish Leader, 1889

South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times, 1960-1961

Southend Standard and Essex Weekly Advertiser, 1915

Sporting Life, 1915

Sporting Times, 1870

Strabane Chronicle. 1915

Strabane Weekly News, 1915

Sussex Agricultural Express, 1962

Teignmouth Post and Gazette, 1915

Ulster Echo, 1880

Uttoxeter Advertiser and Ashbourne Times, 1915

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, 1915

Windsor and Eton Express, 1915

Wolverton Express, 1956-1959