Thomas Proffit - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 867 |
| Age: | 12 (on 9 April 1887) |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Dark hazel |
| Height: | 4 ft 7½ ins |
| Particular marks: | Mole right side of abdomen |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 9 December 1887 |
| Late residence: | Sandford, Lichfield (his sister's, Annie Martin, widow of a sailor - has a pension) |
| Parish he belongs to: | Tamworth |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Nil |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Offence: | Stealing a harness brush from the Swan Hotel, Lichfield |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 9 November 1887; F S P Wolferstan and C H Cope; Lichfield Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month in prison, 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 (says 9 times fined for non-attendance at school) |
| Length: | 1 month |
| For what: | Fowl stealing |
| Father's name: | John Proffit |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Mother's name: | Mary Proffit |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Badly treated by both father and mother |
| Character of parents | Father is a convicted thief and of drunken habits, mother a low drunken prostitute |
| Parents' wages: | 16s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | George Street, Tamworth |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | William Hernaman, Lichfield |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 11 November 1887 There was a report of the crime in the Lichfield Mercury Friday 11 November 1887 p.5 col.7: LICHFIELD CITY POLICE. - WEDNESDAY. - Before the Mayor (Alderman E. Shakeshaft) and the Ex- Mayor (Councillor A. C. Lomax). SENT TO A REFORMATORY. - Thomas Proffitt (12), living in Sandford Street, was charged with stealing a brush belonging to Edward John Waters, post-boy at the Swan Hotel, on Tuesday, Nov. 1st. - Prosecutor, who lodges at Mrs. Mark's, in Sandford Street, identified the brush produced as his property, and stated it was worth 1s. 6d. The last time he used it he placed it in the stable window; that was on Tuesday the previous week. Witness missed it on Saturday morning, and gave information to the police of his loss. He saw it again on Tuesday at the police station, when he also saw the prisoner for the first time. - Annie Proffitt (20), living in Sandford Street, said prisoner was her brother, and lived at her house. He brought the brush to her house on Tuesday last week, and told her he found it by the Swan pailings. He also told her there was a whip, and another boy took that and cut it in half. Mr. Hernaman called at her house on Tuesday, and she gave the brush into his custody. Her brother told him that he had found It by the Swan pailings. Mr. Hernaman then took the boy to the police station, and kept the brush. - Superintendent Hernaman said that between four and five o'clock on Tuesday afternoon he went to the house kept by Annie Proffitt, and there saw her and the accused. He said to the youth, "I have come for that brush you took from the Swan last week," and told him wanted look at it. He said he had found it, and his sister added that she had been in great trouble since he had brought it to the house. Witness then brought the boy to the police station. He had known the boy for the past six weeks, he having been about the town doing nothing, A short time ago Mr. Cork brought him to the police court from Greenhill, and said he had sent him on an errand with a shilling. The boy started off, but never returned again, and he appropriated the shilling. The money was, however, refunded by prisoner's sister. The boy was not in any employment The sister had lived in Lichfield several years, and said her father lived at Tamworth and had eight children dependent upon him. He had not had time to enquire respecting the home of the parents at Tamworth, but the sister said her father did not behave properly to his children. - The sister, recalled, said her father's name was John Proffitt, and he was a collier living at Tamworth. He had eight children living with him, and only one was at work, she being at the factory owned by Mr. Hamel. They had a very bad father. - The Mayor said the Bench would like the boy to grow up and be a good lad, but he was not in a way at present to do so. The Court thought that for the boy's own good and for the good of society, he should be imprisoned for one month in Stafford gaol, and after that he should be sent to a reformatory school until he reached the ago of 16 years, when they hoped he would be able to face the world and become a useful man and do his duty as a faithful and honest man when he grew older. | |
| 16 April 1889 Absconded with Meek [boy 914], but was only at large for a few hours | |
| 30 July 1890 Twelve boys absconded by removing bars from the window in Dormitory No. 1 and shinning down to the ground on sheets. Nine were recaptured after a few hours but Profitt managed to remain at large. | |
| 18 September 1891 Readmitted to the School. The Reformatory Committee Log Book reports: The boy Thomas Proffitt, who has been so long absent as an abscondee (14 months), was apprehended at his parents home on 18th September. He has been punished for his offence, and both the parents have been committed to six months hard labour for harbouring | |
| 17 October 1891 There is a newspaper report of the parents trial in the Staffordshire Sentinel Saturday 17 October 1891 p.7 col.5: IMPORTANT PROSECUTION UNDER THE REFORMATORIES ACT. At the Longton Borough Police Court on Monday, John Profit, collier, and his wife, Ann Profit, of Kildare Street, Florence, were charged under the Reformatories Act, with having harboured and concealed their boy, aged 15 years, on the 17th ult., he having absconded from the Saltley Reformatory. - Mr. H. F. Fish, Master of the Reformatory, stated that the boy, with eleven others, absconded as far back as July 30,1890. - Police-constable Richards stated that on the 18th ult. he went to the defendant's house and asked the male defendant if he had seen the lad. Profit replied that he had not done so for the last two years, but witness, overhearing some conversation, returned and found the boy concealed under a sofa. The female threatened the officer, but the lad was apprehended. - Mr. Fish said the managers of the Reformatory wished to press the case, as the number of boys absconding was increasing, and these prosecutions were the only means of stopping the evil. - The Bench considered the case a bad one, and sent each of the defendants to gaol for six weeks. The Mayor complimented Police-constable Richards, and said boys would not run away from such institutions if they had not somewhere to go. | |
| 8 December 1891 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley | |