Name: Robert Muir Arrested for: not given Arrested at: North Shields Police Station Arrested on: 17 August 1914 Tyne and Wear Archives ref: DX1388-1-254-Robert Muir

The Shields Daily News for 17 August 1914 reports:

“STEALING POTATOES. EARLY MORNING VISIT TO THE FIELDS AT PERCY MAIN.

Today at North Shields, Robert Muir, miner, Mindrum Terrace, Percy Main and Chas. Bassett, miner, Norham Terrace, Percy Main, were charged with stealing from Ridges Farm, Percy Main a quantity of potatoes valued 5s, the property of Thomas Holmes, on Aug. 16.

PC Abernethy stated that at 1am on the 16th inst. he was proceeding along the highway at Percy Main, when he saw the two defendants coming from the direction of Holmes’ potato field. Muir was carrying a bag and witness took possession of the bag of potatoes, which Bassett said they had got from his garden. On going to defendant’s gardens witness found the soil quite dry and he then took the defendants to Holmes’ field, Waterville Road. When they got there Bassett bolted through the hedge. In the field he noticed that the potatoes had been recently pulled.

Sergt. Askew said that he later apprehended Bassett and whilst they were coming to the police station, the defendant said he would make a clean breast of it. He had come out of the house that night and met Muir. They went to the field. The potatoes were for Muir as the pits had been working badly.

Mr Holmes valued the potatoes at 5s and said he had missed a large quantity from the field. The Chairman (Mr F. Graham) said the Bench would take a lenient view of the cases under the circumstances. Muir would be fined 2s 6d and costs and Bassett would be fined 10s and costs and 2s 6d damage”.

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.