English: Name: George Thompson

Arrested for: Larceny
Arrested at: North Shields Police Station
Arrested on: 6 October 1903
Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-21-George Thompson
For an image of one his accomplices see <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/18050615063/in/photostream/">www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/18050615063/in/photostream/</a>.
The Shields Daily Gazette for 6 October 1903 reports:
“PILFERING FROM A NO. SHIELDS STORE
At North Shields to-day, George Thompson (17), cartman, Bedford Lane; James W. Brown (18), storeman, Upper Queen Street; John Fatherley (16), cartman, Old Fold; William Stott (15), cartman, Dotwick Street; and James Maine (25), cartman, Queen Street, were charged on remand with stealing from Mr George Otto’s ship chandler’s store in Borough Road, between Aug. 1st and Sept. 28th, five tins of butter, a shoulder of bacon, and a bottle of whisky, valued £2 3s 8d.
George Campbell, store manager for Mr Otto, stated that on the 28th of last month, about eleven o’clock in the morning, he was at the store, and saw the defendant Stott coming out carrying a 2lb tin of butter. Witness asked him where he had got it from, and he said he received it inside. He took him back to the office, and he then implicated Fatherley, who he said gave it to him. A policeman was sent for and when he arrived Fatherley and Stott implicate Brown and Thompson. The four of them were then taken into custody. Brown, Fatherley, Thompson and Maine were all employed by Mr Otto, but Stott was not. The article mentioned in the charge were all his master’s property and were valued at £2 3s 8d.
PC Hannah deposed to being called to Otto’s stores on the morning in question and in company with PC Spindler took Brown, Thompson, Stott and Fatherley into custody. Subsequently he went back to the store with Thompson, who showed him where a 7lb tin of butter was concealed under one of the benches. PC Spindler gave corroborative evidence and added that when his charged the defendants Thompson replied “Before I got my dinner on Saturday Brown tossed the butter down the hatch to me”. Brown replied “We all had something to do in the matter”. Fatherley said “Brown told me if I took the big tin away he would give me the little one for myself”. Stott stated “Fatherley told me to take the tin up the back lane”. Maine afterwards, when charged, said that he would say the same as the others.
Detective-Sergt. Scougal spoke to the arrest of Maine, but he denied the charge at first. He then confronted him with Brown, Fatherley and Thompson. Thompson said “What about the tin of butter you got on Saturday?”. Maine then admitted getting a tin of butter a few weeks before and having used it. Subsequently Mrs Maine handed him a bottle of whisky, which she said had been bought from Otto’s store.
Fatherley was then charged with stealing a quantity of corn from Mr Otto’s stables. Defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, and stated that a man named Maxwell went up to him and asked if there was any chance of getting a feed of corn. He (defendant) replied “Yes” and went away with a bag to the stable, and put about three-quarters of a stone of corn into it, and took it to Maxwell’s stable and he gave him three half-pence for it. Maxwell would not go up to Otto’s stable with him because he was afraid that Mr Peacock would be about.
John Henry Maxwell, Howard Street, was then charged with receiving the corn, well knowing the same to have been stolen. Fatherley having repeated his statement, defendant was sworn, and denied ever asking Fatherley to give him and corn. He had no reason to go to Fatherley to ask for corn, because he was himself a man of means, and obtained his corn regularly from a merchant named Reali. Several witnesses were called and spoke of the high character possessed by Mr Maxwell.
Mrs Fatherley was then charged with receiving the bacon and butter, well knowing the same to have been stolen. The police produced evidence to show that at first Mrs Fatherley denied receiving anything whatever from Otto’s stores excepting some old sacks to make aprons of. Later, however, when questioned by Detective Scougal and Chief Constable Huish upon a statement which her son had made, she admitted getting the butter and bacon, but destroyed it later for fear her son got into mischief through it.
The Bench after a consultation with the clerk (Col. Kidd) decided to commit Thompson for 21 days, Brown for six weeks, Fatherley for 28 days, Maine for 21 days, all in the second division, and bound Stott over for six months as he was under 16 years of age. The charges against Mrs Fatherley and Maxwell of receiving the goods, well knowing them to have been stolen, were dismissed”.
These images are a selection from an album of photographs of prisoners brought before the North Shields Police Court between 1902 and 1916 in the collection of Tyne & Wear Archives (TWA ref DX1388/1).
This set contains mugshots of boys and girls under the age of 21. This reflects the fact that until 1970 that was the legal age of majority in the UK.

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