William Smith - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1021 |
| Age: | 13 years 7 months (born 17 June 1879) |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 9½ ins |
| Particular marks: | 2 dots back of right wrist; 5 dots back of left wrist; pictorial representation of dots [perhaps] between left thumb and forefinger [pictorial is 4 dots in a 7 shape, one dot the left hand end of horizontal bar, and three forming the sloping down stroke] |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 21 January 1893 |
| Late residence: | Lees Lodging house, 12 Foregate Street, Stafford |
| Parish he belongs to: | Born at Macclesfield |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Has been employed for 6 weeks at Bagnal's Foundry at Stafford |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Offence: | Stealing oranges from a box in the market |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Parents appear to be ramblers who have no fixed abode but reside at common lodging houses |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 9 January 1893; W Silvester and B P Wright; Stafford Police Court |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 14 days in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | Whipped |
| For what: | Stealing an umbrella |
| Father's name: | Henry Smith |
| Occupation: | Rag and bone gatherer |
| Mother's name: | Sarah Smith |
| Occupation: | Rag and bone gatherer |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Nothing known against them at Stafford |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | Lees Lodging House, Foregate Street, Stafford |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 14 January 1893 There is a report of the crime in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 14 January 1893 p.7 col.1: CANDIDATES FOR A REFORMATORY. - William Smith. aged 13, lodging in Foregate Street; Henry Moore, 14, George Parker, 15, and William Parker, 10, living in Tenterbanks, were charged with stealing several oranges, value 6d., the property of John Housby, greengrocer, of Tenterbanks, on the 14th inst The magistrates discharged the younger Parker with a caution, but fined the eldest defendant 5s. In the case of Smith and Moore, who had been previously convicted. the Bench sentenced each defendant to fourteen days imprisonment as a preliminary step to their being detained in a reformatory for five years. | |
| 18 February 1893 His father got into trouble too, as reported in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 18 February 1893 p.7 col.2: MAINTENANCE OF CHILDREN IN REFORMATORIES. - Henry Smith, lodging in Foregate-street was summoned to show cause why he should not contribute towards the maintenance of his stepson, William Smith, who is detained in Saltley Reformatory. The Deputy Chief Constable (Capt. Longden) applied for an order in each case, and the amount was fixed at 1s. per week.4 March 1896 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Smith was licensed to go out and work for Mr Mercer, Instone Court, Herefordshire | |
| 24 April 1896 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records: [after the boy had expressed a wish to emigrate to Canada] I was unable to discover the whereabouts of his parents, and learning that the father would be inclined to trouble us if the boy were sent without his permission, I decided after speaking with the boy to place him out on licence with a gentleman in Herefordshire and he is now doing well | |
| 21 January 1898 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
| 14 June 1898 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Smith, Bromyard | |