RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Erato on Wednesday 16 October 13 14:58 BST (UK)
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http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-504083_162-10012739.html
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I was looking at these yesterday - aren't they amazing photographs and stories?
Mike
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They all look like wronguns to me.
Only joking. I was going to say you will do almost anything when you are near to starvation. but then I looked again and most of them seemed quite well nourished. Even so, it was a hard time when you could get transported for stealing a handkerchief.
Thanks for posting the link. Very interesting and quite poignant.
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I think transportation may have stopped by the 1870s. A lot of these were charged with stealing clothes, and the clothes some of them are wearing look really tatty and shabby. Life was hard.
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These photos are part of a larger set of some 80, held by Tyne & Wear Archives, which I posted about on the Northumberland Board about two years ago :)
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=564713.msg4171884#msg4171884
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Interesting how the photographer put so many of them into the identical pose - one elbow on the chair back, body slightly turned and hands loosely clasped.
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How sad that they turned to crime so young ::)
Carol
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I think transportation may have stopped by the 1870s.
Absolutely correct. 1868 officially, I understand, but in reality some years before then. I must learn to engage my brain before posting. :-[
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The photos provide an interesting and authentic record of how the poorest folk dressed in those days. In most cases very ragged indeed.
I wonder why the photographer posed them in such a way? it does at least give them some dignity.
The girls look mainly suitably downcast but the lads have retained a more confident, direct, unabashed look.
One can only assume that they committed the offences out of necessity.
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I guess they were just trying to avoid the workhouse. Where needs must ,,,,
Its sad that they lived in such hard times.
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I wonder if the Robert Charlton shown was an ancestor of Bobby and Jackie?
He certainly has the pose of a footballer!
Thanks for posting.
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I too felt particularly sad to see the state of the childen's clothing which in many cases was little more than rags. So as has been stated previously, it is hardly surprising that so many of them were imprisoned for stealing clothes. But it's interesting to see the attitudes of the various children - some look completely crestfallen and dejected, but a few of the lads have such an attitude that you know they were survivors.
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Just looking at your link, JenB - really good, as the photos can be shown full screen, and there are far more of them. Thanks for posting this. Fascinating.
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these are amazing !!
what a great find and thanks for sharing it with us
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Many years years ago I studied French at university- one quotation has stuck in my mind ever since:
Francois Villon wrote during the Middle Ages "Necessite fait gens mesprendre, et la faim fait saillir le loup du bois" = necessity makes people do wrong and hunger drives the wolf out of the woods.
The causes and justifications of criminality have always been a tricky question, I think...
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What did they consider as "hard labour" back in the day? I would assume it was different for boys and girls?