Poverty makes for the most desperate of criminals. Their crimes are born of necessity—to feed, to cloth, to nurture—which can make them careless in their actions. Financiers, on the other hand, can sit and carefully discuss their plans to rob and steal with lawyers and bankers over four hour lunches in luxurious surroundings—picking their teeth, savoring wine. They are usually never careless—they have lawyers see to that—and are hardly ever caught. The poor, meanwhile, are far easier to catch.
The women criminals of North Shields in Edwardian England were usually nabbed for “Larceny”—a catchall common law crime that involved “the unlawful taking of the personal property of another person or business.” This covered deeds as diverse as taking clothes from a washing line, stealing food from a table, or pinching personal belongings—jewels, money, etc. Most of the women who were brought into the police station in North Shields were charged with larceny—though some who were habitual were charged as “Thief.”
In certain instances, larceny could also cover keeping a bawdy house, being drunk and disorderly or having no fixed abode.
Most of the mugshots featured below are of women who have committed a crime out of desperation. Others, are habitual. All have the weary look born of grinding poverty and unrelenting misfortune. Their ages range from teens to late thirties. The photographs were taken at the North Shields Police Station between 1902-1905 and are kept by the Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums—you can find more here.
Reg. No. 52, Susan Joice, Larceny, N. Shields 18-8-1903.
The Shields Daily News for 19 August 1903 reports:
“Yesterday at North Shields, Susan Joyce (16), residing at 17 Front Street, Milburn Place, was charged with stealing on the 15th inst, from a gas meter at a house, 18 Front Street, the sum of 6s 5d, the moneys of the Tynemouth Gas Company. Sarah Nicholson, the occupant of the above house stated that she noticed that the lock had been broken off the meter and the money extracted. Ellen Watson, sister of the accused stated that the later went to her house with her apron full of copper. Altogether there was 5s 6d. She afterwards handed the money over to the police. Detective Thornton spoke to arresting the defendant and when charged she admitted taking the money out of the meter. The Bench imposed a fine of 5s and 10s costs”.
Reg. No. 54, Annie Anderson, Larceny, N. Shields 25-8-03.
The newspaper report of 1 September featured in the comments suggests that Annie Anderson may have been involved in prostitution. This is made more explicit in a report of a later arrest in the Shields Daily Gazette for 21 July 1904, ‘disorderly house’ being a euphemism for brothel.
“At North Shields Annie Anderson (34) was charged with keeping a disorderly house in Liddell Street on July 1st. Sergt. G. Scougal proved the case. Chief Constable Huish said that the prisoner was convicted for a similar offence on March 28th of this year, and committed for one month. Immediately she came out of prison she went back to the room and continued to carry on the house in the same manner as before. The complaints received by the police about it were serious. Defendant, who pleaded not guilty, was committed for three months with hard labour”.
Reg. No. 57, Mabel Smith, Larceny, N. Shields 28-9-03.
Reg. No. 67 Alice Caush, Larceny, North Shields 31-10-03
The Shields Daily Gazette for 31 October 1903 reports:
“Today at North Shields Alice Coush (18), 19 Front Street, was charged with stealing a watch valued 6s 6d, the property of George Eadington a seaman. Prosecutor said on 5 June last he was paid off from his ship, and accompanied by two friends, went to his lodgings at Greenman’s Bank. On the road they met the defendant and her companion, and they also accompanied him to his lodgings. Afterwards they had some drink and witness fell asleep. When he woke up again he missed his watch (produced) from his pocket. When he returned from sea on 24 inst he gave information to the police.
Mr Harrison, manager for Mr Graham, pawnbroker in Beacon Street, deposed to advancing 1s 6d to the defendant on the watch on July 13th. She said it belonged to her brother. Detective Sergt. Thornton stated that when he arrested the prisoner last night and charged her, she pleaded guilty to the offence. The Bench committed her to prison for 14 days”.
Reg. No. 6. Catherine O’Brien, N. Shields 11-11-03.
The Shields Daily News for 11 November 1903 reports:
“Elizabeth Hall (29), Miller’s Bank and Catherine O’Brien (30), no fixed abode, drunk and disorderly in Howdon Road; the former was committed to prison for one month and the latter fined 5s and costs”.
Reg. No. 74, Mary Scott alias Wilson, Larceny, North Shields 14-12-03.
Reg. No. 1, Charlotte Branney, Larceny, N. Shields 5-1-04.
The Shields Daily Gazette for 12 January 1904 reports:
“A SERVANT’S THEFTS.
Charlotte Branney (18), who hails from Murton Colliery, was formerly in domestic service with Ed. McHugh, eating-house keeper, New Quay, North Shields. On August 26th she obtained a day’s leave and, after she was gone, a jacket was missed from a stand in the hall. Next day she left altogether and so did a skirt from the bedroom. Charlotte was apprehended at Seaham Harbour and brought back to explain. This she did by pleading guilty to stealing the skirt but, as to the jacket, she said she only borrowed that for the afternoon. Being afraid of detection on her return she threw it over a fence near her mistresses’s house and it was gone the next morning. Chief Contsable Huish said she was “wanted” at Newcastle on another charge and she was now sentences to 14 days in the second division”.
Reg. 13, Susannah Adamson, Larceny, N. Shields 15.2.04.
The Shields Daily Gazette for 1 March 1904 reports:
“Susannah Adamson (25) who resides in Magnesia Bank, accompanied a labourer named Alexander Angus into the Gardeners’ Arms, in Rudyard Street, on Saturday. While there she relieved him of a purse and 25s. Angus did not know of his loss until the woman had left the bar and when he discovered it he immediately followed her, took possession of his purse, opened it and found it contained 1½ d. Detective Scougal arrested in her own house later in the night, and the woman told him that she had never seen either Angus or his money. Before the North Shields magistrates Adamson made a most vigorous defence, protesting that she never stole any of the man’s money. Before this case she had made ten appearances before the magistrates and she was now committed to prison for a month”.
Reg. No, 17, Sarah Patterson, Thief, North Shields 14-3-04.
Reg. No. 37, Jane Thompson alias Gordon, Thief, North Shields 13-7-04.
No. Reg. 5, Margaret Leadbetter, Larceny, N Shields 16-8-04.
Reg. No. 84, Mary A. Butts, Larceny, N. Shields 20-12-04.
Reg. No. 4, Jane Forbes, Larceny, N. Shields 26-01-05.
Reg. No. 26, Nora Jane McCartney alias Marcella Turnbull alias Bulman, Larceny, N. Shields 4.4.05.