File:John Stewart, miner, arrested for stealing ducks and hens (21693426410).jpg

Name: John Stewart Arrested for: not given Arrested at: North Shields Police Station Arrested on: 24 August 1914 Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-254-John Stewart

The Shields Daily News for 26 August 1914 reports:

“THEFT OF DUCKS AND HENS. MIDNIGHT VISIT TO BALKWELL FARM.

Today at North Shields, John Stewart (35), miner, Hedley’s Buildings, New York, was charged with stealing between Aug. 22 and 23 from North Balkwell Farm three ducks, three chickens and one hen, valued 18s, the property of Wm. James.

Prosecutor stated that he locked the hen-house on the 22nd and on the morning of the 23rd he missed the ducks and hens. He later found the head of one hen under a straw stack.

PC Yellowley, New York, said that at 12.30am on the 23rd he saw the defendant coming from the North Balkwell Farm. Witness' suspicions were aroused by defendants clothing being bulky and on searching him he found a bass bag, containing a duck and a chicken which were later identified by the proprietor. Det. Mason said he received defendant into custody from the Earsdon police and defendant replied to the charge, “All I got was the duck and chicken, which I had when arrested”. Defendant was sent to prison for 14 days with hard labour.”

These images are taken from an album of photographs of prisoners brought before the North Shields Police Court between 1902 and 1916 (TWAM ref. DX1388/1). This set is our selection of the best mugshots taken during the First World War. They have been chosen because of the sharpness and general quality of the images. The album doesn’t record the details of each prisoner’s crimes, just their names and dates of arrest.

In order to discover the stories behind the mugshots, staff from Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums visited North Shields Local Studies Library where they carefully searched through microfilm copies of the ‘Shields Daily News’ looking for newspaper reports of the court cases. The newspaper reports have been transcribed and added below each mugshot.

Combining these two separate records gives us a fascinating insight into life on the Home Front during the First World War. These images document the lives of people of different ages and backgrounds, both civilians and soldiers. Our purpose here is not to judge them but simply to reflect the realities of their time.