John William Bell - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 893 |
| Age: | 11 years 10 months |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Wakefield |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 3 ins |
| Particular marks: | Cut right of forehead |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 6 October 1888 |
| Late residence: | Speddings Fold, Albert Street, Barnsley |
| Parish he belongs to: | Barnsley |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Schoolboy |
| Whether illegitimate: | Yes |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing a coat, a knife, etc from and office |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Not reported |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 1 October 1888; F H Taylor and H Piggott; West Riding Police court Barnsley |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Wakefield |
| Sentence: | 6 strokes birch rod, 7 days in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | Nil |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | Tom Pye |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Christiann Bell |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | - |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | (Grandmother) Speddings Fold, Albert Street, Barnsley |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | James Kane, Superintendent of ~Police, Barnsley |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 6 October 1888 The crime was reported in the Barnsley Independent Saturday 6 October 1888 p.6 cols.5-6: YOUTHFUL BURGLARS IN WELLINGTON STREET. - Herbert Turton and William Bell, both youngsters, were charged with entering the office of Samuel M. Neatby, a timber merchant, in Wellington street, and stealing therefrom 7½d. in money, a knife, an overcoat, a seal, a pencil, three old coins, a magnifying glass, and a tape measure. - Mr. Kane, in opening the case, said that Mr. Neatby stated that In breaking into his place the lads had done damage to the extent of £30 by injuring the fittings of the office.- Mr. Neatby, on being called, said that on Friday last, in consequence of information received, he went to his office and saw that the articles in question had been taken. They were worth 15s. Nearly the whole of the fittings of the office and pounds worth of stationery were so damaged as to be almost worthless. His private desk had been battered in with a hammer (produced). A mahogany desk upstairs, a chest of drawers, a new silver- plated gig lamp, and many other articles had been completely wrecked. The total damage would be about £30. - Samuel Jones, a lad about twelve years old, said he saw the two prisoners near to Guest's shop on Thursday last. Turton gave him that coat (produced) to pawn. He told him that if he would get 1s. 6d. on it he would give him 3d. He went inside but they would not have it so he came outside and gave it back to Turton. He did not know where the coat went to after. - Sarah Jane Armitage, wife of William Armitage, Theatre Royal yard, said that Mr. Neatby's place was near her house. On Thursday, September 23rd, she saw the two prisoners, go over the wall. She told them to come off the wall and not go over there. In spite what se said they went over the wall to Mr. Neatby's office. - P. C. Gaythorpe said that in consequence of information received on Friday morning about eight o'clock h apprehended the two prisoners. He took them to Westgate Police station and charged them together with breaking and entering Mr. Neatby's office, in Wellington street, Barnsley, and stealing the articles in question. On charging them Bell said, "Yes, he broke them with them hammers. I took the knife, the seal, the pencil, and two old coins. Turton took the magnifying glass, the tape, and a coat. We all three got some of the money." The witness further added that when he went to school to apprehend Bell, the master said he hoped he should never see him again, as he was such a bad lad that he was ruining the whole of the lads in the school. He did not know whether Turton ever did go to school. - The Bench ordered each lad to receive six strokes with the birch rod, then to go to Wakefield for seven days, and then to a reformatory for five years. | |
| 26 February 1892 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Bell was licensed to go out and work for Mr Jordan, Little Bromwich, Saltley | |
| 15 April 1893 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records that records that Bell was re-admitted back into the School from on licence | |
| 5 October 1893 Sentence expired whilst on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
| 12 February 1895 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Bell, Barnsley | |
| 11 June 1895 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Bell, Barnsley | |
| 8 December 1896 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Bell, Barnsley | |
| 12 December 1899 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Bell, Hythe, Kent | |
| 6 February 1900 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Bell, Doncaster, West Yorkshire Regiment | |
| 10 April 1900 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Bell, Limerick, Ireland | |
| 13 August 1901 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Bell, Limerick, Ireland | |