On 1 December 1838, servant Ludlow Tedder stole two silver spoons and a valuable bread-basket from her master, Fitzowen Skinner. Tried at the Old Bailey later that month, she was convicted and transported for ten years to Van Diemen’s Land. This retelling explores trust, temptation and punishment in Victorian London.
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This Day in History: 11 November 1794 — The Tale of the Pewter Pots
On 11 November 1794, John Webb stood trial at the Old Bailey for stealing pewter pots from a London innkeeper. Convicted and sentenced to seven years’ transportation, his story reveals how small acts of tavern theft could send Georgian Londoners halfway across the world.
This Day in History – 16 September 1812
16 September 1812 — Old Bailey Manslaughter: Thomas Oakley was tried for manslaughter at the Old Bailey after a death for which the court found him responsible but not guilty of murder.
This Day in History – 21 August 1848
21 August 1848 — Old Bailey Session: Thomas Lancaster faced trial for coining counterfeit coins. In the same session, Albert Brown was judged for poisoning, and John Boosey for pocket-picking.
This Day in History — 9 August 1726
The Day Before the Horse-Thefts (9 August 1726) — On the eve of two geldings disappearing, George Prentice (alias Johnson) moves through Smithfield. The next day, 10 August, the thefts that send him to the Old Bailey will occur.
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