Crimminal 2 year sentence

[Laura the Explorer]

oh my I have been looking at the crimminal records I was not looking for anyone in particular so typed in Sowter and out came the list some might be mine they where on trail for Larcany but one stood out the lady in question got 2 years in prison for trying to hide the birth of her illegitamat child it made me upset that she got that sentence


Laura

[Sue from Southend]

The powers that be seemed to have a very heavy hand where women were concerned. I found a man and a woman, same surname, on trial the same day for stealing firewood - he was acquitted and she got 2 years!

[Penelope]

If you have the name and date someone here might be able to find it in the newspapers and give you more info?

[RNM]

Laura where were you looking ?? some of mine are a bit dodgy ............ maybe worth a look !!

Roger

[Olde Crone Holden]

Laura

Actually, I think you'd probably get the same sentence today for concealing the birth of a child.....

OC

[Laura the Explorer]

Hi
I was looking on Ancestry at their criminal records Roger.
OC you might, but as I was looking through the list some of the crimes where alot worse and the men only got a couple of months it just did not seem right. To think of the destress she was in anyway haveing the child and being by herself to do that to her as well just did not seem right she needed help not putting away.




Laura

[Uncle John]

Actually, I think you'd probably get the same sentence today for concealing the birth of a child.....

A friend of OH spent time in jail for this, about 1970.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I think this was a crime which HAD to be treated relatively harshly, given the time.

It possibly prevented infanticide in some cases.

I do agree that women in general were more harshly punished for any sort of crime, but that was a reflection of the outrage (felt by men!) that women had proved themselves not to be the saintly passive creatures that MEN wanted them to be!

I doubt if any Victorian man (or woman, come to that) would have felt that an unmarried mother was deserving of understanding and help rather than punishment.

OC

[Little Nell]

When I got a photocopy of a page of the Gloucester Gaol Register it was very sad reading. A 13 year old girl tried along with her father and brother for stealing a pair of boots for example.

I have a gt x 3grandfather who spent time in gaol for stealing firewood from Lord Stowell. Personally I am sure my grandfather & family needed the firewood more than Lord S!