Perquisites and pilfering in the London Docks, 1700-1795
During the eighteenth-century the busiest part of London's port was an area on the North Bank of the Thames, from London Bridge in the west, to Limehouse, in the east. It was here that many ships and smaller vessels loaded and unloaded their cargo, and goods were often moved into nearby warehouses or stored on the quays themselves. As the volume of trade increased during this period, so too did congestion on the waterfront, providing ample opportunities for the appropriation of' many goods, especially those in transit. However, the appropriation of goods was something that could be interpreted in different ways. For example, many appropriations were viewed as criminous. First, those cases that were deemed petty were often dealt with in the City of London's Court of' Summary Jurisdiction, the famous Bridewell. Other offences, which magistrates and prosecutors preferred to see as more serious, were prosecuted by indictment and therefore came before the Court of the Old Bailey. Furthermore, Dockside Constables also had a special part to play in detecting and apprehending suspects. Their role in the chain of decision-making constituted another variable in the complex legal mechanisms. Other appropriations were
D'Sena, Peter A. M.
History
Perquisites and pilfering in the London Docks, 1700-1795. During the eighteenth-century the busiest part of London's port was an area on the North Bank of the Thames, from London Bridge in the west, to Limehouse, in the east. It was here that many ships and smaller vessels loaded and unloaded their cargo, and goods were often moved into nearby warehouses or stored on the quays themselves. As the volume of trade increased during this period, so too did congestion on the waterfront, providing ample opportunities for the appropriation of' many goods, especially those in transit. However, the appropriation of goods was something that could be interpreted in different ways. For example, many appropriations were viewed as criminous. First, those cases that were deemed petty were often dealt with in the City of London's Court of' Summary Jurisdiction, the famous Bridewell. Other offences, which magistrates and prosecutors preferred to see as more serious, were prosecuted by indictment and therefore came before the Court of the Old Bailey. Furthermore, Dockside Constables also had a special part to play in detecting and apprehending suspects. Their role in the chain of decision-making constituted another variable in the complex legal mechanisms. Other appropriations were
london eighteenth_century busy part london port area north bank thames london bridge west east many ship small vessel load cargo good often move nearby store themselves volume trade increase period waterfront provide ample opportunity appropriation many good especially transit however appropriation good something could interpret different_way example many appropriation view first case deem petty often dealt city london court summary jurisdiction famous offence magistrates prefer see serious indictment therefore come court old furthermore also special part_play detect apprehend suspect role chain decision_making constitute another variable complex legal mechanism appropriation