File:Thomas Henry Miller, soldier, arrested for theft (21946694283).jpg

Name: Thomas H. Miller Arrested for: not given Arrested at: North Shields Arrested on: 25 November 1915 Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-262-Thomas H Miller

The Shields Daily News for 18 December 1915 reports:

“SOLDIER CHARGED WITH THEFT AT NORTH SHIELDS.

At North Shields today, Thomas Henry Miller (24), a soldier, of Walsall Street Court, West Bromwich, was brought up on remand, charged with having stolen on the 22nd November, from the North Shields railway station, a brown leather kit bag and contents, valued at £3 19s 6d, the property of Lieut. Traill of the 3rd Batt. Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, stationed at the King Edward Schools. The case was fully gone into yesterday but the sentence was postponed for the purpose of making enquiries about the defendant’s character. An officer gave the defendant a good character and said he had nothing against him. The defendant was bound over for 6 months in the sum of £5.”

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.