Frederick Cooper - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1113 |
| Age: | 11 (born May 1884) |
| Whence received: | Chesterfield Petty Sessions |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Sallow |
| Hair colour: | Dark brown |
| Eyes colour: | Brown |
| Height: | 4 ft 1 ins |
| Particular marks: | Birth mark on posterior |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 9 December 1895 |
| Late residence: | 11 Barker Lane, Brampton, Chesterfield |
| Parish he belongs to: | Brampton |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Nil |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing from a shop till |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad home influence. The parents have 4 children, of whom 3 have now been sent to Industrial Day or Reformatory Schools |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 9 December 1895; A C Locke and W B Robinson; Chesterfield Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | Not |
| Sentence: | Detained at Saltley for 5 years |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 (2 December 1895) |
| Length: | 6 strokes |
| For what: | Stealing 7s 6d from a till |
| Father's name: | Thomas Cooper |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Mother's name: | Mary Cooper |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Father reported good, mother reported bad - now in prison |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 11 Barker Lane, Brampton, Chesterfield |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | Edward Emery, Chief constable |
| Notes: | |
| 3 December 1895 A previous offence was reported in the Derbyshire Courier Tuesday 3 December p.10 col.1: THEFT BY BOYS : A MOTHER SENT TO GAOL FOR RECEIVING THE STOLEN PROPERTY. - On Monday, at the Chesterfield Borough Police Court, before the Mayor (Councillor A. C. Locke), Aid. E. Woodhead, and Mr. P. H. Chandler, Alfred Coates. Barker lane, and Francis Cooper [first name given thus], Barker lane, were charged by Frederick George, with stealing, on the 28th November, silver coins amounting to 20s., and Mary Cooper was charged with receiving from Francis Cooper the sum of 7s. 3d., she well knowing the same to have been stolen. - The prosecutor said he was a pork butcher in Chatsworth road, Brampton. On the evening of Thursday there were a number of silver coins in the till. He left the shop for a moment, and on returning to turn the lights out and take the money out of the till, nearly all the sliver, amounting to at least 20s.. was missing. From what he afterwards heard, he gave the two defendants into custody. - Gertrude Needham, a little girl, living in Brewery yard, Brampton, said she was near Mr. George's shop on Thursday night from half-past nine to ten. She saw the defendants looking through the window. - P.C. Moore said on Friday morning he went to the Brampton Board Schools and questioned the boy Coates as to where he was on the night before. He replied that he was down Brampton. When he (witness) said he wanted him to go with him. he began to cry. and said he had not taken any money. He added that on Thursday night he saw a boy going down Brampton with some money. He asked the lad where the money was, and he took him to a closet where the lad lived. On a ledge underneath the seat he found 4s. 6½d. He then went to Cooper's house. At first the lad denied anything about the money. He (witness) then told him he would have to go with him, and he began to cry. and said he had given his mother the money. She was present, and produced 7s. 3d. in silver from her pocket. She said the boy had told her he had found the money. On the way to the Police-station Coates said he had taken his boots and stockings off, and crept into the shop and taken the money. - Both the boys pleaded guilty, and their fathers said they did rot know anything about the affair. - The Mayor said the Bench had decided to order the boys six strokes of the birch rod each, to be administered by P.c. Fisher. The Bench thought parents should take greater care of their children, and not allow them to be out so late at night. Parents who allowed their children to be out till nine, ten. and eleven o'clock were greatly to blame for the mischief they got into. The lads should be kept under stricter control. - The charge against Mary Cooper was then gone into. - P.c. Fisher said on Friday noon he went to the defendant's house and asked Mrs. Cooper if her son had brought any money home the night before. She replied that he had not. She said the boy had given her no money at all. The boy then came in, and witness threatened to take him to the police station he said he had given his mother the money on the previous night. The defendant then burst out laughing, and fetched 7s. 3d. out of her pocket. - Inspector Evans said he heard Moore ask the defendant if her son had given her any money, and she replied that he had not. Witness then asked her if she had seen the boy with any money and she said she had not. He afterwards saw the woman produce 7s 3d. - The defendant pleaded not guilty, and said she had no idea the money had been stolen. The little lad. before he went to school, gave her the money, and asked her to keep it for him. He said he had found it down Brampton. She said she would keep it until his father came home. She did not see anything of the money on Thursday night. - The Mayer said the Bench had come to the conclusion that she was guilty. A parent, knowing a child had been guilty of stealing, and acting in this way, was more blameworthy than in the case of a grown- up person taking money. Parents should bring their children up to do what was right, and not encourage them in what was wrong. The Bench had decided to send her to prison for one month's hard labour. | |
| 14 December 1895 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Derbyshire Courier Saturday 14 December 1895 p.7 col.4: TWO INCORRIGIBLE BOYS. - Alfred Coates (9) Barker Lane, and Fred Cooper (11). Barker Lane, the two lads who last week received six strokes of the birch rod at the bands of P.c. Fisher, for robbing the till of Mr. George's shop, in Chatsworth Road, were again brought before the Mayor (Aid. A. C. Locke), Aid. Robinson, Aid. E. Woodhead, and Councillor Douglas, at the Borough Police Court, on Monday, charged with stealing on the 5th Instant certain coins, amounting to 5s., the property of Thomas Hinch, West Bars. - Martha Ann Hinch, wife of the prosecutor, a pork butcher, said on Thursday night, at ten minutes to eight, she noticed in the till half a-crown, a shilling, and three or four sixpences. There was no one in the shop for ten minutes after that time Her attention was then called by someone outside to the till, which she saw had been drawn out. All the silver was gone, but the copper was left. Either 5s. or 5s. 6d., she could not tell exactly which, had been taken. - Inspector Evans said from "information received" he went in search of the two prisoners, and found them in the theatre. He said to them "Give me that money you took from Mr. Hinch's pork shop," and Cooper gave him a half crown, a sixpence, and a farthing, and Coates gave him a shilling and a sixpence. Coates said "I took the money." (and pointing to Cooper), "he told to go." Cooper said, "I held his boots across the road while he fetched it.'' - On being formally charged, the lads pleaded guilty. - The Mayor: We consider it advisable, Mrs. Coates, to send your boy to a reformatory. Mrs. Coates: I cannot say anything; punish him the way you think best. - The Mayor: Do you think if the other boy was parted from him you could keep your boy under control. - Mrs. Coates: I can try, and that will show willing. - Aid. Robinson : Has he been a bad boy? - Mrs. Coates: No, only for about the last three months. - Mrs. Cooper: My lad had been a good lad until about three mouths ago, when they got together - the best lad I have had. - Aid. Robinson (to Mrs. Coates): I very sorry for you, but it will be better for you and better for the lad to let him go to a reformatory. - The Mayor : We have decided to send the two lads to Saltley Reformatory for five years. | |
| 8 December 1900 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley | |
| 8 October 1901 The Reformatory committee Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Cooper, Brampton, Chesterfield | |
| 10 December 1901 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Cooper, Chesterfield | |
| 15 July 1902 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Cooper, Chesterfield | |
| 14 October 1902 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Cooper, Chesterfield | |
| 14 April 1903 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Cooper, Chesterfield | |
| 9 February 1904 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Cooper, Chesterfield | |