In 1914, Frederick William Jarvis faced charges for pilfering from a fowl house at Dallamire’s Lane, Ripon. Police conducted a search of his residence, uncovering a stash of feathers matching the colours of the stolen fowls.
As a result, Frederick was sentenced to twelve months in prison with hard labour however this wasn’t Frederick’s first brush with the law. Back in 1895, at the age of 16, he had been convicted of stealing turnips.
In November 1920, Frederick yet again found himself in court accused of stealing a grey goose.
Having been spotted by a police officer at the scene of the alleged theft, Frederick had wielded the goose as a weapon before being apprehended and taken to the police station for formal charges. During his trial, Frederick confessed to another poultry theft, remarking, “I thought you were going to overlook that job.”
He was sentenced to six months of hard labour for both offenses. This event has been integral to the development of the current ‘I thought you were going to overlook that job’ exhibition at the museums. View on the online exhibition and read more about the development of the project.
Fredrick’s mother characterised him as somewhat lacking, and historical records revealed that he had spent time in an asylum at the age of 9 due to an undisclosed illness. Reports indicated that Frederick was manageable when engaged in activities but prone to mischief when idle.
You can read more stories from the archives and discover more local characters from the Police, Prison and Workhouse.