Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Ann Riddell or Pitcairn - The Habitual Criminal, Originally from Oldmeldrum



Ann Riddell was sentenced to seven years penal servitude on the 17th April 1868. She had stolen several items of clothing, although her crime was viewed as more serious because of a string of previous convictions, as mentioned in the brief report of the trial in the Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review of the 24th April:

"The first case called was that of Ann Riddell or Pitcairn for three acts of theft of wearing apparel in town in October and November last. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude, her case being aggravated by six previous convictions"

On the 1871 census, Ann is to be found at HM General Prison, Perth, using the surname of Pitcairn, aged 41, her date of birth given as 1830, birthplace being Oldmeldrum and her occupation that of a "washer". A number of other female criminals who feature in this blog were also present in Perth prison at the time of the 1871 census, so they must have known one another. 

On her discharge from jail in July 1874, the Register for Returned Convicts tells us that Ann Riddell lived for a time at 10 Guestrow and then at Farquhar's Court, off the Upperkirkgate, in Aberdeen.




 

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