We definitely enjoy the artful presentation of vintage mug shots — as we’ve pointed out before several times, like here, here, and here. A new batch of old-timey crooks and deviants recently caught our eye over at Dangerous Minds. While the website pointed out the female prisoners housed at Newcastle City Gaol and House of Correction — incarcerated between 1871 to 1873 — the number of children in the bunch is what interested us. All of the Victorian kid criminals we’ve shared past the break are no older than 16, and most of them were sentenced for petty theft. Poverty and peer pressure probably inspired a few of these cases, but no explanations are given apart from the crimes done. Even if they were naughty children, at least their mug shots are extremely polite! Meet a few child crooks below.
Image credit: Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
At the young age of 11, Ellen was ordered to do 7 days hard labour after being convicted of stealing iron when caught with Mary Catherine Docherty, Rosanna Watson and Mary Hinnigan.
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