This worked a bit better
I’m spending many a happy hour reading in the British newspaper archive, though as you can see, the enjoyment is tempered by the quality of the images and their own OCR is atrocious. So I had the bright idea to upload it in chunks and ask Grok to OCR it for me. It does a brilliant job:
Edwin Miles, 18, labourer, pleaded guilty to feloniously breaking and entering the dwelling house of Stephen Smith, and stealing therefrom one round frock, value 1s., and other articles, the property of the said Stephen Smith, at Bosham, on the 5th March, 1861.—Twelve months’ hard labour.
But it also gave me this useful commentary:
“Stephen Smith” is assumed to be the correct spelling, though “Stephn” in the image might be a typographical error or abbreviation.
“Bosham” is a village in West Sussex, England, consistent with the historical context.
“1s.” refers to one shilling, a unit of pre-decimal British currency, indicating the modest value of the stolen frock.
The date “5th March, 1861” aligns with the Victorian era, and “Twelve months’ hard labour” reflects a typical sentence for felony at the time.
Uncertainties: None significant, though “round frock” might be an archaic term for a type of coat or garment, possibly a misreading of “frock coat” or similar, but I’ve retained it as shown.
I’m generally loath to use AI for research on account of it’s a lying hound, but in this case, I can see for myself whether the transcription is accurate. This is going to be most useful.
Also – holy shit! Twelve months hard labor for stealing a dress worth a shilling! (Modern value £2.20).
September 4, 2025 — 3:01 pm
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