This Day in History: 18 December 1865 — George Wheeler and the Long Sentence

On 18 December 1865, London clerk George Wheeler pleaded guilty to embezzlement at the Old Bailey. Sentenced to penal servitude, he passed through Newgate, Pentonville and Portland prisons before his release in 1869. His story reveals the realities of Victorian imprisonment beyond the courtroom.

This Day in History — 23 September 1861

James Tate — The Theft of Supper (23 September 1861)
At 18, James Tate was convicted of stealing lamb, mutton, rabbit, cheese, pie, pudding, bread, and dishes. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced at the Old Bailey to six months’ imprisonment.