World Archives Project: Alabama Convict Records, 1889-1954

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About this project This project consists of bound volumes with names and information on Alabama state and county convicts from 1885 - 1954. All material is handwritten on printed forms, some with two convicts to a page and the majority three convicts to a page.

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Project-specific sample images and form field help:

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Convict Register

Convict Register

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These forms will consist of either two or three convict entries per page.

Prefix

Key any titles before the Given name, such as "Dr", "Rev", "Mr" or "Mrs", using a dictionary if provided for assistance. If a prefix does not appear in a dictionary then key the prefix as seen.
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Given

Key the first name or initial and any middle names of the primary person to whom the record pertains using a dictionary if provided for assistance. If a name does not appear in the dictionary then key the name as seen.
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Surname

The Surname is the last name of the primary person to whom the record applies. Capture the Surname using the dictionary provided for assistance. If the surname does not appear in the dictionary then key the surname as seen.
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Suffix

Key all titles, such as "Jr" or "III", following the surname of the primary person to whom the record applies using a dictionary if provided for assistance. If a suffix does not appear in a dictionary then key the suffix as seen.
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Alias Given

Occasionally an alternate name may be recorded for a given individual. This name may be denoted by parentheses, quotation marks, or may be preceded by the words "ex" or "nee". There may also be an Alias section in the register entry. Key the first name or initial and any middle names using a dictionary if provided for assistance. If an alias given name does not appear in the dictionary then key the alias given name as seen.
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Alias Surname

Occasionally an alternate name may be recorded for a given individual. This name may be denoted by parentheses, quotation marks, or may be preceded by the abbreviation "for" or the words "ex","nee" or "formerly". There may also be an Alias section in the register entry. Key any Alias Surname which appears. All the rules for keying a primary name should also be followed for keying any alias name.
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County

Capture the county given in the record to the right of the convict name using the dictionary provided.
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Event Month

Key the Month of conviction in the event date field using the dictionary provided for assistance. Key the month in full even if written as an abbreviation or in numeric form on the record. On some records the conviction date may appear after the words "Sentence Began".The date is usually written in the mm-dd-yy format. If there is no date written next to "Sentence Began" mark the field "BLANK".
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Event Day

Key the day of conviction as the event date. Key as seen. On some records this may appear after the words "Sentence Began".The date is usually written in the mm-dd-yy format. If day is between 1 and 9, do not use a leading zero, please.
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Event Year

Key the year of conviction in the event date field. On some records this may appear after the words "Sentence Began". Key as seen if the year is already given as four digits. If the year is given as two digits, augment the year to four digits, adding the appropriate century on to the beginning of the year. Years are expected to fall between 1880 and 1954.The date is usually written in the mm-dd-yy format.
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Age

The Age refers to the age of the convict to whom the record pertains. · If an Age includes years, months, and/or days then key only the years. For example, if an Age appears as 10 years, 7 months then key the Age as 10. · If an Age appears in months only, such as 10 months, then key the Age as a fraction of twelfths ' 10/12.· If an Age includes a fraction, such as 3 3/8, key only the whole number ' 3.
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Race

Key the Race from the field titled "Race," using the dictionary provided to assist. If the race listed is not in the dictionary, please key as seen. Enter full name of race if given. Enter abbreviations as seen and do not expand them. If it says W, key W, not white. The only three letters I have seen so far are C, N and W.

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Gender

Key the Sex or Gender into the Gender field from the field labled Sex or Gender. Enter the Gender name in full, even if abbreviated on the record. F = Female; M = Male. If one of these is not given, key as seen.
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Birth Location

Capture the Birth Location from the record using the dictionary provided for assistance. If a location is not found in the dictionary then key the location as seen. Do not spell out in full if the state is abbreviated. The Birth Location can be found in a field named "Place of Birth" or in a field named "Nativity".
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