Judges' Reports on Criminals convicted at the Old Bailey, 1784-1827

The dataset has been created from The National Archives' summary descriptions for more than 1000 pardoning reports and letters which were written by judges about individuals convicted at the Old Bailey between 1784 and 1827. The information given typically includes the name of the convict, the date of the trial and the sentence passed, the grounds cited in favour of clemency, and the recommendation (if any) made by the judge.

Offenders who had been convicted and sentenced by the courts were permitted to petition the crown for the reduction or revocation of their sentence. The Home Office usually forwarded these petitions to the trial judge (or the Recorder of London), asking for a report and recommendation on the case. In most instances the Home Office followed the recommendation made by the judge. These records often provide valuable information about prisoners and the actual outcomes of their cases after sentencing.