Criminal records
Inventoried and reworded by Aart Vos, MA
Researcher of the ‘s-Hertogenbosch City Archives
tel. (+31) (0)73-6155291
E-mail Aart Vos

 

In this database you will find criminal records of the bench of aldermen of ’s-Hertogenbosch, 1550 – 1803. You can search for different subjects like names, crimes, punishments. In the explanation of the fields you will find which information the database “Dataschurk” will produce.

In this database you will find criminal records of the bench of aldermen of ’s-Hertogenbosch, 1550 – 1803. You can search for different subjects like names, crimes, punishments. In the explanation of the fields you will find which information the database “Dataschurk” will produce.

Explanation of the fields in the database:

Dossier number, inventory number or storage number
The original numbering by archivist J. Smit , who made an inventory of the archive of the ‘s-Hertogenbosch bench of eldermen, is maintained as much as possible. The criminal records were stored quite dispersed in the archive. In the civil records contained a lot of criminal records. It is expected that more criminal records will be found and added to the database.

Year
The named year is the year in which the trial took place. If that was unknown the year in which the crime took place is named.

Data on the suspect
Name of the suspect as spelled in those days like Hendriks, Henrix, Hendrickx, Henricx etc. In general one way of spelling is used. Furthermore first names, nicknames, places of birth or living, professions, religion (also listings like “heathen”) civil state, citizenship.

Data on the crime
The nature of the crime, the prisoner was often suspected of more than one crime. A neutral term is used as much as possible. Murder and manslaughter are not used but the more impartial “slaying”. If possible it is mentioned in which way someone was slain: stabbing, shooting, hitting etc. Furthermore the place(s) of the crime, victims, conspirators, gangs, recidivist.

Judging
The claim of the High–Office (public prosecutor: the high-sheriff or low-sheriff of ‘s-Hertogenbosch) and the torture (the suspect could only be judged after a confession, and if there wasn’t any it was extracted in cases of serious criminal offences out of the suspect by putting him on the rack. Furthermore de date of the verdict, the punishment and if the condemned was sentenced by default.

Remarks
Data not showed in the other fields, but essential for the criminal case. Also references to other files and records.