History of Dover

Ellen Goldfinch and Barbara Duff, two girls one nine and the other 10 years of age where charged with picking the pocket of Mary Garlinge wife of William Garlinge, New Street in the Eagle Gardens, Charlton on Monday. It appeared that “Charlton Fair” was held at the Eagle Gardens on the evening in question. Complainant went into the gardens and shortly after coming out she missed her purse containing a florin and some other coins together with four or five pawnbroker’s duplicates. She remembered pulling out her purse shortly after getting into the gardens and was positive she replaced it in her pocket.

The prisoner Goldfinch was apprehended by P.C. Terry on Thursday afternoon in Limekiln Street and on being told by the constable of the charge against her she said “Yes Barbara Duff told me to take it.” She first put her hand in but would not take the purse out. I then put my hand in and took the purse. Mrs. Garlinge was with the constable when this took place and nothing was said to induce the child to make the confession. She was afterwards taken to the Station House and on the charge being read over she again admitted that she had taken the purse out of the complainant’s pocket. Terry afterwards apprehended the prisoner Duff at a house in Church Street. She said she did not take the purse but that she had one duplicate, which she had torn up and part of the money. She also repeated this statement on being cautioned in the usual way at the Police Station.

Supt. Coram in reply to the magistrates said the girl Goldfinch was brought before the Bench three years ago charged with pocket picking but she was then only six years old and in consequence of her tender age the charge was not pressed. In the interim there had been some complaint made against her by her schoolmistress but it was not gone into. The prisoners both pleaded guilty and the Bench in sentencing them to seven days imprisonment censured their mothers who were both present for the want of care they had manifested in the control of their children. The magistrates also said they were of the opinion that Mr. Foord the proprietor of the Eagle Gardens, was much to blame for permitting the “fair” to take place on his premises and intimidated that the circumstances would not be forgotten when he applied for renewal of license. (1861)