Podcast: From crime to punishment: criminal records of our ancestors from the 18th and 19th centuries

The second half of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries were characterised by rapid increase in population, urbanisation and impressive industrial growth. It was also a period of rising crime rates and grave concerns about criminality. This podcast takes researchers through the various stages of the criminal justice system of the period and focuses on the various records created, from the commission of a crime, through the court processes and on to the records of punishment. Jeff James is Director of Operations and Services at The National Archives, and has previously worked as Head of Operations at The British Library, in the University sector and as a Submariner in the Royal Navy. Jeff has an MA in History from the University of Hertfordshire and has a particular interest in 18th and 19th century crime and poverty - UK National Archives