Mugshots of Сhild Сriminals of Edwardian Britain, 1900-1910

Susan Joice, 16, arrested for stealing money from a gas meter. 1903.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

These mugshots of Edwardian Britain depict minors arrested for petty crimes and are part of a wide photographic collection of Tyne Wear Archives. The age of the subjects starts from 12 years old to 21 which was the legal age of adulthood. These minors were arrested in the British town of North Shields.

h/t: rarehistoricalphotos

William J. Kay, 18, arrested on suspicion of planning to commit a felony. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

The social issues that had surfaced during Victoria’s reign began to percolate during the Edwardian era. Chief among these was the high poverty rate among the working classes; 77 percent of the population were crowded into the cities, and in many cases wages had actually fallen, although the cost of living continued to grow.

Stephen Fitzgibbon, 17, arrested for a series of thefts. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

As people poured into the cities in the hope of finding work, so poverty increased and the slums proliferated. The children suffered through violence at home and poverty meant that many skipped school and took to the streets to engage in petty thievery and pickpocketing.

Charles Pearson, 19, arrested for stealing from offices. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

The British legal system introduced different treatments for young offenders from the 1850s onwards when reformatory and industrial schools were first introduced. In addition to the creation of new punitive measures for dealing with the young, laws were passed removing children from certain areas of industry and restricting their activities in others, while compulsory elementary education was introduced in 1870.

Thomas Pearson, 16, arrested for thefts from backyards. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

In 1889, the ‘Children’s Charter’ introduced legal protections for children from various types of cruelty and enabled the state to intervene in family life. Efforts snowballed, as campaigners pressed in the 1890s and 1900s for greater legal protection and coverage for children and young people.

Francis Smith, 20, arrested for stealing a copper vessel. 1908.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Changes in the perception of childhood led to new ideas about the ways in which the delinquent and vulnerable young should be handled by the state. From the 1880s onwards, campaigners began to call in particular for the introduction of a special court to handle cases involving children and young people.

John Legg, 19, arrested for stealing beer. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Arthur Convery, 19, arrested for stealing from a gas meter. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Edwin Frankland, 17, arrested for breaking into a house. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

David Lloyd, 15, arrested for stealing brushes and a box. 1902.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

George Wilson, 17, arrested for stealing from his father. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Edward Roberts, 19, arrested for stealing from a gas meter. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

John Dowson, 19, arrested for stealing from a gas meter. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

George Herbert Morton, 17, arrested for theft. 1906.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Percy John Proctor, 16, arrested for fraud. 1906.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

George Thompson, 17, arrested for stealing from a ship chandler’s store. 1903.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

John Fatherley, 16, arrested for stealing from a ship chandler’s store. 1903.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Charles Marr, 14, arrested for an undisclosed reason. 1906.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

John Scott, age unspecified, arrested for stealing from a shop door. 1906.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Thomas Wallace, 18, arrested for indecent exposure. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Benjamin McMurdo, 15, arrested for breaking into shops. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

William Balmer, 15, arrested for shopbreaking. 1902.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

George Burn, 14, arrested for stealing brushes and a box. 1902.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Dora Agnes Sanderson, 16, arrested for theft. 1906.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Alice Maud Marr, 17, arrested for stealing doormats. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Thomas Kane, 16, arrested for stealing a pony, harness, and cart. 1904.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Gilbert Wheatley, 19, arrested for loitering with intent to commit a felony. 1904.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Oscar Carlson, age unknown, arrested for theft. 1903.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

William Wadham, age unknown, arrested for sleeping outdoors. 1904.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

George Taylor, 17, arrested on suspicion of planning to commit a felony. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Percy Swallow, 16, arrested for stealing a watch. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Margaret Leadbitter, 12, arrested for stealing money from other children. 1904.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Margaret Ann O’Brien, 14, arrested for obtaining money by false pretenses. 1904.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

William Morrissey, age unknown, arrested for sleeping outdoors. 1904.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

William Wilson, 16, arrested for stealing fish. 1905.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Robert Richardson, 18, arrested for breaking and entering. 1907.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Sidney Forrest, 17, arrested for stealing a pair of reins and two whips. 1908.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent

Charles Johnson, age unknown, arrested for stealing sash weights. 1904.

Tyne and Wear Archives & Museum / Juvenile delinquency and the evolution of the British juvenile courts by Kate Bradley, University of Kent