Mugshots of Women Prisoners, Tasmania 1897-1910

Elizabeth ORLANDO, murder charge and MUGSHOT
Booking shots of WOMEN in hats, 1890s-1910, HOBART GAOL
MARION camera, Hobart Gaol 1890s

Marion Camera Hobart Gaol 1900s

Marion's Excelsior Camera, 22 & 23 Soho Sq., London WW1D 3QR
The firm operated from this address between c.1866 - 1913.
Held at Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site, Campbell St., site of the former Hobart Gaol and Supreme Court.
Photos copyright © KLW NFC 2015 ARR

This camera was used by the (as yet) unidentified photographer at the Hobart Gaol from the 1890s. Prior to the 1890s, prisoners were photographed by Constable John Nevin who was resident and salaried at H.M. Gaol until his death from typhoid fever in 1891, working with his brother, commercial photographer, government contractor and civil servant Thomas J. Nevin who attended the gaol and Supreme Court Oyer and Terminer sessions on a monthly and quarterly roster. One of two rooms used by the photographers at the Hobart Gaol was located above the women's laundry. Before it was demolished in 1915, government contractor John Watt Beattie salvaged the majority of photographs taken by Thomas J. Nevin in the 1870s from the laundry and the Sheriff's Office. He displayed them at his "Port Arthur Museum", located in Hobart, and toured them at intercolonial exhibitions from the Royal Hotel, Sydney, 1916 in conjunction with convictaria exhibited on the floating museum, the fake convict ship Success.

1897: Elizabeth Orlando aka Eliza Poole
In 1887 Elizabeth Orlando stabbed to death her husband Victor Orlando at the breakfast table in Mrs Parker's lodging house, Campbell St. Hobart, Tasmania. She was sentenced to life in prison. She was previously known to police as Eliza Poole, charged with minor offences.

1887: sentenced to life

TRANSCRIPT
THE INQUEST.
An inquest touching the death of Victor Orlander, or Orlando, was hold this afternoon before Mr. P. W. Mitchell, coroner, and a jury of seven, of whom Mr. G. F. Hiddlestone was foreman.

The jury viewed the body, after which the following evidence was elicited.
Dr. C. J. Parkinson deposed that the cause of deceased's death was loss of blood from a deep wound behind the left ear.
Mrs. Mary Parker deposed she was proprietress of Parker's lodging-house in Campbell-street, where she resided with her husband; deceased and his wife had been staying in witness's lodgings; last Monday week deceased went there alone and lodged, and the following Monday his wife went there also; and they boarded and lodged together until that morning; they sometimes quarrelled they would go out sober and return under the influence of drink, and then quarrelled. Mrs. Orlander used to aggravate deceased, who seemed a very quiet man; on Thursday night they quarrelled more than usual, and thinking they had better be separated, witness between 12 p.m. and 1 am. that morning separated them, taking Mrs. Orlander into her own room and leaving deceased down stairs; when witness arose at 8 that morning deceased and his wife had left the house; at 8.45 they returned deceased went into the kitchen and asked for breakfast; so did accused; the table was already laid, knives, forks etc., being upon it; Orlander and his wife were sitting at the table, the wife being on his left hand; upon Mrs. Orlander also asking for breakfast, deceased said three times -" No, she shall not have any;" witness said to Mrs. Orlander, "Take no notice, he is only joking;" she then served Mrs. Orlander's breakfast, and then turned her back to where they were sitting, in order to attend to the household work at another table; she next went to the door, and was going to an adjoining room, when, hearing a scuffle, she turned round, and saw Mrs. Orlander with a table knife in her hand, though still sitting down; she appeared to be prodding deceased in the neck; witness thought at first that Mrs. Orlander was doing this for a lark, but on the third thrust she noticed blood spurt, and exclaimed, "Oh my God, the man is stabbed ;" she could not say that at the first or second thrust the knife entered deceased's neck, but she saw the third thrust enter the flesh, and saw Mrs. Orlander pull the knife out from the wound; a man named Clark was in the room at the same time, sitting at another table; witness raised the alarm, and some lodgers came out of an adjoining room, and took deceased to the hospital; deceased said nothing; nor made any noise whatever; witness took the knife, which was stained for 4in. in blood and wiped it; she subsequently gave it to the police; after deceased was removed Mrs. Orlander was like a mad woman about the house, and in ten minutes time went up stairs where she remained until the police came; when deceased came in to breakfast they did not appear much under the influence of drink : they knew what they were doing; the wife appeared more sober than the husband, who was perhaps half drunk; she had never heard Mrs. Orlander use any threats or acts of violence against her husband beyond the fact that she would strike him, which she did with her closed hand.
To the Coroner - No time elapsed between the three thrusts; they being made immediately after each other.
John Edwards deposed he was a licensed victualler residing at Bothwell; he knew Mrs. Orlander for between four and five years, and deceased for about three or four years; deceased was a labourer; they lived together as man and wife at Bothwell, where they were married three years ago; they were absent from Bothwell for 11 months, but returned to Bothwell three months ago; they lived a very unhappy life ; witness attributed their unhappiness to drink on the part of the wife; he never knew any violence occur between them;; he saw them together in Bothwell about 16 days ago; Mrs. Orlander there received a sentence of 14 days imprisonment for abusive language towards another female, and was sent to the Hobart lock-up; deceased remained in Bothwell for two or three days, and then witness missed him; he next saw them together on Thursday morning, about 10 o'clock, in a hotel in the city; he saw them again that (Friday) morning; between 8 and 9 that morning deceased was walking up Campbell-street towards Parker's lodging-house; he appeared to be perfectly sober; witness also saw Mrs. Orlander sitting in the bar of Clay's Union hotel smoking a pipe, and she seemed to be quite stupid from drink; he had often seen her in liquor; when in that condition she seemed to become perfectly mad.
John Clark, a labourer, deposed he lodged and boarded in Parker's lodging house; he was in the same room as the Orlander's when they were having breakfast that morning, but he was not observing them; hearing Mrs. Parker scream, he looked round and saw Mrs .Orlander draw a knife away from the neck of deceased, from which blood was spurting.
Richard Webb, a cook lodging at Parker's lodging-house, deposed to that morning hearing cries of "she has stabbed him" repeated twice, coming from the direction of the kitchen ; he hurried to the spot, and saw deceased sitting at the table and blood issuing from a severe wound in the neck, and also from his mouth; he then, with the assistance of others, conveyed him to the hospital.
Mr . P. Pedder, superintendent of police, deposed to arresting Mrs. Orlander at Parker's house. She was in a half stupid state; there was a quantity of blood on her hands; with Constable Chomley he took her to the police-station ; she asked where her husband was; witness replied that her husband was dead, and he would charge her with the murder; she became distressed and said her husband had been kind to her.
This concluded the evidence, and the coroner summed up. The jury, after a few moments retirement, returned a verdict of " guilty of manslaughter." Mrs Orlander was present during the taking of the evidence but asked no questions . The inquiry commenced at 4.30 pm. and terminated at 8 pm.

PRESS REPORTS
THE INQUEST. (1887, February 26). Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899) p. 3.
Link: https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39527652
SHOCKING TRAGEDY. (1887, February 26). Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), p. 3.
Link: https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39527649

1897: sentence commuted
Elizabeth Orlando aka Eliza Poole was tried and imprisoned for murder at the Supreme Court Hobart, sentenced to life on 29 March 1887. Her Hobart Gaol rap sheet shows she was photographed (in prison dress) on 22 December 1897 and discharged on 23 December 1897. The photo's registration number was "793" and dated "22 .12. 97". The annotation in red ink at the foot on this record, not quite legible, is - Dis ? charged to the Probation - ? Launceston - see "Ticket of Leave".

Elizabeth Orlando prisoner Tasmania 1897



Orlando, Elizabeth identical with Eliza Poole
Record Type: Prisoners
Year: 1895-1897
Record ID:NAME_INDEXES:1450014
Resource: GD128/1/2
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Record/NamesIndex/1450014

1890s: discharged but "Photo not taken"
In this Hobart Gaol series - Book No. 1 GD63/2/1 - the records of men and women prisoners showing their discharge dates in the 1890s are listed in the same volume. Many of the men's records include a full-frontal mugshot with arms folded across their chest.

The women's records have a pencilled note written in the Remarks column - "Photo not taken" - which may have been written years, even decades later, including this record for Elizabeth Orlando aka Eliza Poole dated 22 December 1897. Yet she was photographed on discharge, as the record above clearly shows. A number of women, and a few were violent offenders like Elizabeth Orlando, must have been photographed on admission and discharge from the Hobart Gaol in the 1870s-1890s, but their photographs are yet to surface. Elizabeth Orlando's photograph has survived probably because she was released on probation with a ticket-of-leave. The last contemporary note in the Remarks column on her record states: "To freedom by Ticket of leave: 22 December 1897."



Discharged: prisoner Elizabeth Orlando
Pencilled inscription: Remarks - "Photo not taken"
Murder conviction SC on 29 March 1887, sentenced to life, commutation
"To freedom by Ticket of leave: 22 December 1897"
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/GD63-2-1/GD63-2-1P146JPG

1906-8: women prisoners in hats
Mugshots taken of women imprisoned at the Hobart Gaol were commonplace by the early 1900s. They were routinely photographed even if their sentence was little more than a week, a fortnight or month, and for the most minor offences such as indecent language and riotous behaviour.  The pose and dress of the prisoner in these series differ only slightly. Many wore their own hats, some wore the prison standard issue striped dress and straw boater. The dress code of the era proscribed a hat as a customary item of clothing, a social marker of personality and propriety, and retained as such to aid further identification in booking shots. Clearly, by this decade, the Bertillon method of posing the prisoner for two photographs, one in profile and one full-frontal facing the camera, was conventional procedure, augmented with a numerical classification of the prisoner's fingerprints. 

SERIES (1904-5):
Archives Office of Tasmania POL708-1-1
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Record/Archives/POL708-1-1



Prisoner Susan Brooks, or Williams
Photo: Inscribed Susannah Brooks, 19-6-1912, i.e. dated 19 June 1912
Discharged from the Hobart Gaol 26 April 1913, record date 12 May 1913
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-3/POL708-1-3P08JPG

In this series for the years 1906-1908, the booking shot in many cases showed each woman still dressed in her own clothes and wearing her own hat in profile, but bare-headed for the full-frontal pose. Some showed the backs of their hands if tattooed. Mugshots taken two years earlier, in the years 1904 and 1905, showed women already wearing the striped prison dress, no hats, in both the full frontal and profile shots.



Prisoner May Evans, sentenced to 7 days for indecent language, Hobart Police Office
Date when photo was taken: 28 April 1908, stamped 26 May 1908
Link:https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P19J2K

MORE EXAMPLES:
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P35J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P76J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P89J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P107J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P136J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P147J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P149J2K



Prisoner Lily Lavelle, prostitution, riotous behaviour
Photo dated 28 August 1905, discharge stamped 1 Feb 1907
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P150J2K
MORE EXAMPLES
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P154J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P161J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P208J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P226J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P237J2K 1905 no hat prison dress 
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P258J2K ditto



Prisoner Margaret Steele, sentences from 1902 to 1905
Photo dated 1st April 1905, wearing prison dress
Record: POL708-1-1P278J2K
MORE EXAMPLES
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P278J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P279J2K ditto
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P286J2K
Link: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/POL708-1-1/POL708-1-1P304J2K 1904 no hat prison dress

ANOTHER SERIES
Series: GD63 PRISONERS RECORD BOOKS.
Item Number: GD63/1/1 (Book No. 2).
Further Description: Start Date: 01 Jan 1892. End Date: 31 Dec 1894
Link:https://stors.tas.gov.au/GD63-1-1



Prisoner Ellen Wilson alias Jones, sentences between 1893 and November 1919
Photo dated 10 January 1910
Record: GD63-1-1P747



Prisoner Isabella Keating, sentences from 1894 to 1914
Photo dated 1911 wearing prison dress and hat
Record: GD63-1-1P427



Prisoner Harriet Hardwicke or Cooper, sentences from 1994 to 1906
Photo dated 15 October 1906
Record: GD63-1-1P432



Prisoner Margaret Smith, sentences from 1892 to 1907
Photo dated 11 February 1907
Record: GD63-1-1P011



Prisoner Ann Kegan, sentences 1990 and 1993
The photo has been removed.
Record: GD63-1-1P248

"YOU MUST PROVE US PROSTITUTES"
Michael Lennen wrote this letter to the Superintendent of Police in May 1876 about two "little prostitutes" soliciting "boys" in Goulburn Street, Hobart Town. He claimed the girls were known - not only to him because one lived next door and the other opposite - they were also "well-known to all the men in the force" . Since, as he claimed, one of the girls called Lilias lived in a brothel, that brothel was either next to his house or opposite in the same street. His intention might have been to suggest to the Superintendent of Police that he was witness to policemen frequenting the brothel at their personal pleasure. Possibly, or simply that he wanted the two girls arrested, the brothel shut down, and peace restored to his street. All he needed, quoting the girls themselves - "you must prove us prostitutes" - was proof. If not proven, they could be charged with "riotous behaviour" and "indecent language", or being "idle and disorderly", sentenced to 7 days, a fortnight or a month in prison. The weekly police gazettes - Tasmania Reports of Crime for Police - do record a handful of female teenagers with these offences who faced court in Hobart from May to November 1876.

Letter to police 1876

TRANSCRIPT (punctuation not the writer's strongpoint) 

1876
Michael Lennen

Hobart Town
Monday 15 May 1876

Sir
I have to report for your information that I was in Goulburn street on Monday the 8th May I saw two females misconducting themselves I cautioned them I said you little prostitutes get away from this and let the boys go about their business they answered you must prove us prostitutes I said I could easily do that I have had to speak to yous on many occasions they then went away I know the girl Lilias to live in a brothel and they are both bad characters



TRANSCRIPT cont ...

well known to all the men in the force I make this statement as truth as one lives next door to me and the other opposite

Yours most Respectfully
Michael Lennen

The superintendant
of Police
Hobart Town

Source: Draft Minutes of the Police Committee
MCC16/63/1/1
9 Nov 1867-17 Feb 1879
Accessed 31 March 2014
Archives Office of Tasmania
Photos copyright © KLW NFC Imprint 2014

Women detained under the Licensing Act, UK 1902.
Whether in Tasmania or London or Birmingham, women prisoners were uniformly photographed wearing their own hats in the first decade of the 20th century. These women were processed under the Metropolitan Police District Habitual Drunkards Licensing Act 1902.





Sources: Library of Birmingham and National Archives UK
Link:https://www.search.birminghamimages.org.uk/details.aspx?ResourceID=11596
First published on
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