Author: Martha J. Martin-Kounse
This is the first book in my Lawrence County, Ohio Jail Registers series, covering individuals arrested between 1867 and 1891.
The original jail registers were microfilmed through an agreement between the Ohio Historical Society and the Genealogical Society of Salt Lake City, Utah. Thanks to advances in digitization, these historical records can now be viewed online through FamilySearch (film #8196773).
The complete collection spans six ledger books, beginning in 1867 and ending in 1923.
Within these records, you'll discover individuals arrested for a wide variety of offenses, including counterfeiting, murder, manslaughter, drunkenness, selling liquor, adultery, carrying concealed weapons, prostitution, and escaping chain gangs. Other entries describe offenses using historical terms such as "bastardy" and "keeping a house of ill fame."
Times were certainly different, but human nature hasn't changed all that much!
I was particularly struck by the number of cases involving accusations of bastardy. For genealogists, these records may provide valuable clues about family relationships, especially when modern DNA results raise questions about an ancestor's identity or parentage.
I've also included a special section featuring additional research into several individuals named in the registers, offering readers a closer look at their lives and circumstances.
Whether you're researching a missing ancestor or exploring Lawrence County's history, these records offer a fascinating glimpse into the people and legal system of the late 19th century.