Finding my jailed ancestor

I come to the venerable brains trust to see if you can help me locate my jailed ancestor on the 1881 census.

My ancestor is Alfred Paul Artus, born on 26 April 1826 in Whitminster, Gloucestershire. He died on 10 Aug 1907 in Gloucester. He married at the age of 19 to Sarah Ann Woodfield.

I have the records for Alfred Paul for the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1891 and 1901 censuses, but not the 1881 - I have searched multiple times on multiple occasions and never managed to find even a viable result.

At the time of the 1881 census, Sarah Ann was living at 2 Moor St, Chepstow with her daughter Mary (my great-great grandmother). Her occupation reads "Husband in Prison". [5219 / 26 / 13]

I know why Alfred Paul was in prison, it was reported with great gusto by the Western Times on 9 Feb 1881 that he, along with a married woman and her two daughters, had stolen 40 pounds of coal from his employer (Miss Marsh of Hardwick House, Chepstow). Alfred Paul was sentenced to three months hard labour - but the newspaper article (which is viewable on British Newspapers) does not tell you where he was sent!

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to find either the records from the court or prison - or any ideas to finding his entry in the 1881 census.

 

The age is wrong, but there is an entry in the 1881 census for HMP in Usk which has an Alfred Paul Artis, prisoner, married and born in Whitminster. The reference is RG11 5257 Fo: 23 p: 40.

Is this just a coincidence, or could he be your man?

 

Looks promising Pauline as the newspaper report states his age as 54.

 

Yeah, I think so. The "Artis" misspelling is something I have seen before and it gives his occupation as a gardener, which also fits. His age being that wrong would be why it hasn't come up every other time I've looked - 20 years is big difference!

Thanks so much!

It is interesting that his age was given as 34 - I would have thought that the difference would have been obvious!