File:William Glendinning, labourer, arrested for theft (21509615724).jpg

Name: William Glendinning Arrested for: not given Arrested at: North Shields Police Station Arrested on: 22 February 1915 Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-258-William Glendinning

The Shields Daily News for 1 March 1915 reports:

“THEFT FROM A LODGING HOUSE

Today at North Shields, before Mr J. W. Munby and Mr A. B. Plummer, Wm. Glendinning (41), labourer, no fixed abode, was charged with stealing a suit of clothes and a quantity of provisions, value £1 19s 6d, the property of William Thompson, 37 Duke Street. The prosecutor said the accused and he were staying in the same lodging house. Witness missed the articles mentioned from a locker in the kitchen. He afterwards saw the accused in South Shields and gave him into custody.

Evidence was given that the accused sold the suit at his second-hand shop in High Street, Gateshead, on the 13th inst. for 3s 6d. Detective Sergt. Hall stated that on the 15th inst., from a complaint made by the prosecutor, he made inquiries and found the accused had absconded from the lodging house. He afterwards received the accused into custody from the South Shields police and charged him. He replied, “I took the suit and sold it to a second-hand dealer near the Half Moon public house in Gateshead”. Witness had not recovered the suit as it had been re-sold. Defendant pleaded that he was under the influence of drink.

The Chief Constable (Mr J. H. Huish) put in 12 previous appearances against the accused before the Sunderland magistrates. The charges included gaming, brawling, stealing and false pretences. Accused was committed for a month.”

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.