London Police Courts in 1900: Stepney

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Arthur H. Beavan continued his survey of London's justice system in Imperial London, 1901, with this look at Stepney Police Court:

Away dock-wards is the Thames Police court at East Arbour Street, Arbour Square, Stepney.

The name is pleasingly suggestive of bowling-greens, cool tankards, and old-fashioned pleasaunces; but in reality it is a sadly prosaic locality.

This police court deals more especially with cases arising from the propinquity of the shipping, and the presence of Jack, flush of money, but not of self-restraint.

By an Order in Council of 1844, the water-way boundaries of its jurisdiction extend from Tower Stairs to Blackwall, a matter of some six miles, but it embraces a considerable land area, as far east as Bow Bridge on the river Lea.

On rare occasions, smugglers find their way to this court, and not long ago a case with the old-fashioned flavour of private whisky-stills and gauges occupied the attention of the magistrate.

A woman was accused of keeping a time-honoured, though illegal, shebeen at Shadwell, and two of the Inland Revenue force getting wind of it, visited the premises.

As usual, there was a man on guard at the door, but the officers got into the kitchen, and on a search being made, a large quantity of beer and spirits was found.

The woman said it was intended for a christening-party, but the only babies found in the place were greybeards, reeking of whisky.

The magistrate fined the woman £50 or three months for selling spirits, and £20 or two months for selling the beer.

The shebeener chose to go to gaol.

Next: Criminal London: The Police