Re-live Victorian crime and punishment at Rochdale Town Hall

‘Heykids!’ rehearsals begin in Rochdale Town Hall’s original court room

Actual trials from the Victorian era will be re-enacted in Rochdale Town Hall’s original Magistrates Courtroom on Sunday 19 April and you are invited to be part of the audience to mark the 100th anniversary of youth courts.

Visitors will be able to witness how children as young as seven years old were punished in the 19th century. Local actors, real magistrates and court officials, dressed in the garb of the day will recreate original Victorian trials and hand out real 19th century sentences, which were both shocking and brutal.

Rehearsals were well underway this week; ‘Heykids!’ amateur dramatic society, from Heywood, has been practising their lines and costume fittings were being finalised.

Albert Yates JP, the event co-organiser provided this update: “Our first rehearsal this week has been fantastic; we are all committed to providing visitors with a truly unique experience.

“Organisers have put in a huge amount of effort to make the day as authentic as possible, even down to the creation of an authentic Victorian menu including ‘ragga muffins’ that will be available in the Town Hall restaurant,” he added.

The Rochdale, Middleton and Heywood Magistrates Bench, through its ‘Magistrates in the Community Group’ have organised the event to celebrate 100 years of youth courts. The Children’s and Young Persons Act 1909 is one of the most significant laws for children and young people today. It formed the basis of the modern youth justice system in England and Wales, introduced youth courts, abolished the death penalty for children under 16, and made child neglect and abuse a criminal offence.

Visitors can expect to witness trials such as Henry Catlin’s. Henry, nine years old, will be tried for stealing a pair of shoes on 16 August 1892. The items are valued at three shillings. If he is found guilty he could be sent to prison, whipped, placed in solitary confinement, and forced to carry out hard labour. He also faces being exiled to Australia!

To find out Henry’s sentence, and many more cases like these, you will need to attend the ‘Victorian Magistrates Court’ at Rochdale Town Hall on Sunday 19 April. Performances are 11:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm. Admission is FREE but you must get there early for your preferred sitting, and obtain a ticket when you enter the town hall, because seats in the courtroom are limited.

Exhibitions showcasing the changing landscape of Rochdale Borough over the last century will also be on display in the Great Hall, together with displays from many local and national organisations depicting how children have been treated in the legal system over the past 150 years. In addition ’Friends of Rochdale Town Hall, will be giving guided tours of the building.