Lawbreaking
Many of the women and girls, whose stories appear on this site, were involved in what was considered, at the time, to be criminal activity. You can access the stories by clicking on the women's names below.
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Here are some resources to help with this topic:
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Barton, Alana Fragile Moralities and Dangerous Sexualities : two centuries of semi-penal institutionalisation for women Routledge (2004)
Beattie JM ‘The Criminality of Women in Eighteenth-Century England’ in Journal of Social History 8.4 (1975) pp.80-116.
Bennett, Rachel. ‘“Bad for the Health of the Body, Worse for the Health of the Mind”: Female Responses to Imprisonment in England, 1853–1869​’ in Social History of Medicine Vol. 34.2 (2021) pp. 532–552
Farrell, Elaine ‘Fathers, Imprisoned Mothers and ‘Babies Behind Bars’’ on Social History Blog
Hawkin, David T Criminal Ancestors: a guide to historical criminal records in England and Wales The History Press (2009) The eight appendices list hundreds of classes of criminal records and their whereabouts.
Horler-Underwood, Catherine E Aspects of Female Criminality in Wales, c.1730-1830: evidence from the Court of Great Sessions PhD thesis for Cardiff University (2014) pdf available online
Johnston, Helen ‘Imprisoned Mothers in Victorian England 1853-1900: motherhood, identity and the convict prison’ in Criminology and Criminal Justice 19.2 (2019) pp.215-231
Wade, Simon Tracing your Prisoner Ancestors: a guide for family historians Pen and Sword (2020)
Williams, Lucy Criminal Women 1850-1920: researching the lives of Britain's female offenders Pen and Sword (2018)
​Williams, Lucy Wayward Women: female offending in Victorian England Pen and Sword (2016)
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Day, Chris How to Trace your Criminal Ancestors (2016)
Old Bailey Online: index to trials at the Central Criminal Court 1674-1913
National Archives Research Guide to researching Criminals and Convicts
The Prison: the story of an institution
Scotland’s Court and Criminal Database 1708-1909
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Lucy Adderley 1874-1922 from Gnosall, Staffordshire - Illegitimacy, Infanticide, Lawbreaking, Murder, Prostitution, Homes for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 16 minute read. Please note that this story contains an account of infant death in tragic circumstances. A podcast version of this story is available on this page.​​​​​
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Eliza Florence Ashton, later Eliza Ellis 1862-1917, from Hull, Yorkshire – Lawbreaking, Suicide, Refuges for Fallen Women (Essex). 6 minute read.
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Mary Ann Audley 1845-1907, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - Lawbreaking, Prostitution. 10 minute read.​
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Sarah Ellen Beck 1867-1916, from Drumillar, Co. Down – Lawbreaking, No Descendants, Women at Work, Linen Industry. 5 minute read.
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Mary Bickley 1819-?, from Wem, Shropshire - Lawbreaking, Poverty, 1819. 6 minute read.
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Maria Bindon, later Maria Tylee 1835-1884, from Bathampton, Somerset - Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Murder, No Descendants, Prostitution. 4 minute read.
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Honor Bunn, later Honor Poll 1819-1865, from Wymondham, Norfolk – Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, 1819. 6 minute read.
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Charlotte Fisher, later Charlotte Uttin 1852-1932, from Great Ellingham, Norfolk – Lawbreaking, Murder, No Descendants. 4 minute read.
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Sophia Gribble 1867-1941, from Crediton, Devon - Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking, Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter). 2 minute read.
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Betty Kershaw 1832-1877, from Leeds, Yorkshire - Disability, Domestic Abuse, Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Murder, Sickness. Warning, this story includes an account of domestic abuse. 12 minute read.
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Julia Mahoney, later Julia Loveridge 1897-1968, from Bermondsey, Surrey - Abandonment, Disability, Domestic Abuse, Lawbreaking, Poverty. 11 minute read. Please note that this story contains an account of domestic abuse.
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Avery (aka Elizabeth) Pettifer Mawby, later Avery Pettifer Rawlinson, afterwards Avery Pettifer West 1859-1950, from Eydon, Northamptonshire – Lawbreaking, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 5 minute read.
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Ann Palmer c.1780-1824, from Dagenham, Essex - Infanticide, Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Suicide. Warning, this story involves child murder. 5 minute read.
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Alma Sophie Pooley, later Alma Sophie Hersee 1889-1981 and Hilda Mary Pooley, later Hilda Mary Childs, 1887-1941 from Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire - Disability, Lawbreaking, No Descendants (Alma), Women at Work, Schools for the Deaf (Margate). 5 minute read.
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Alice Reeves, later Alice Jarvis 1874-1953, from Lichfield, Staffordshire – Lawbreaking, Mental Health, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire) 12 minute read.
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Elizabeth Sandland 1819-?, from Wem, Shropshire – Lawbreaking, Women at Work, 1819. 3 minute read.
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Jane Short 1884-1891, from Newcastle on Tyne, Northumberland - Child Mortality, Lawbreaking, No Descendants, Sickness, Fleming Memorial Hospital. 5 minute read.
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Elsie May Simon aka Elsie May Brock 1895-1975, from Wyton, Yorkshire - Alcoholism, Disability, Lawbreaking. 9 minute read.
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Dinah Townend c.1786-1867, from High Hoyland, Yorkshire – Domestic Abuse, Illegitimacy, Lawbreaking. Warning, this story contains an account of domestic abuse. 4 minute read.
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Prudence Kelland Townsend, later Prudence Kelland Hooper 1887-1947, from Dartmouth, Devon – Abandonment, Lawbreaking, Refuges for Fallen Women (Exeter). 5 minute read.
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Rose Waters 1872-?, from Watton, Norfolk - Lawbreaking, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Edgbaston). 3 minute read.
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Priscilla Wesley, later Priscilla Wilkinson 1874-1932, from Wolverhampton, Staffordshire - Lawbreaking, Women at Work, Refuges for Fallen Women (Staffordshire). 13 minute read.
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All those who formed part of the following A Few Forgotten Women Friday collaborative research projects were labelled as lawbreakers and their stories can be found on the pages dedicated to the particular research day.
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