This week's WDYTYA email newsletter advises that more than 235,000 criminal records from the collections of Gloucestershire Archives have been digitised and made available to explore on Ancestry. The new Gloucestershire Prison Records set provides details about individuals who found themselves behind bars between 1728 and 1914.

Searchable by name, age, type, date and location of crime, the digitised prison registers cover several different gaols across the county, with many of the records from 1870 onwards accompanied by photographs.

http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/gloucestershire-prison-registers-and-mu...

More detail about the Records may be found here, they include Gloucester Gaol;

"Gloucester Gaol began life as Gloucester Castle, around 1185. By the 17th century the main function of the castle was as a gaol. Bad reports in 1777 and the vision of local reformers resulted in a new Gaol being built in 1791 on the same site. Unfortunately, few records of the old castle gaol survive.

The new building contained a gaol, penitentiary, and house of correction. Until 1878 the Gaol was under the control of the Gloucestershire Quarter Sessions. After this time the gaol became HM Prison Gloucester, which became an all male prison in 1915.

Prisoners usually came from courts in Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford. There were also gaols run by the Gloucester and Tewkesbury Corporations. The Tewkesbury Gaol was built in 1816 on Bredon Road. It closed in 1854 and all prisoners were transferred to the County Gaol. Gloucester City Gaol was on Southgate Street and closed in 1858. Houses of correction were established in Littledean, Northleach, Horsley and Lawfords Gate. First time offenders and young people were often placed in houses of correction, which were under the control of the Quarter Sessions. The records available for each institution varies widely."

see http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60895&o_iid=72084&o_lid=72084&...

Does anyone know whether the Littledean Gaol would have had mugshots in the 1880s and if so where can I find them?

Hi,
I'm NOT an expert by any means, but I doubt that mugshot photos were ever taken at Littledean in the 1880s. Partly because photography was still relatively "new" at this time, and an expensive process confined to the large prisons in major cities; but mainly because by this time Littledean was only being used to hold those associated with lesser crimes, youths, etc, who probably wern't thought "worthy" of mugshots. I believe it "only" housed remand prisoners by the 1880s, so prisoners still awaiting trial, so again less likelihood of needing to go thro the mugshot process ?.
At least that's my take of what I've read about Littledean Gaol, but I welcome more-expert input. Some of this comes from the sources listed below.

Whatever Littledean Gaol records do exist appear to be with Ancestry.

Ref:
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/researching/search-by-theme/courts-and-crim...

https://www.prisonhistory.org/prisonrecord/page/77/

https://www.littledeanjail.com/index.php/home/history-of-the-jail/more-about-the-histor...

Hope this helps, J.