George Betton - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1163 |
| Age: | 14 (born 29 June 1883 [1897 given in error]) |
| Whence received: | Cannock Police Station |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh, freckled |
| Hair colour: | Dark |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 6ΒΌ ins |
| Particular marks: | Large burn left of abdomen; scar back of head; scar of arm near shoulder |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 26 October 1897 |
| Late residence: | Cecil Street, Chadsmoor, Cannock |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | - |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Larceny (stealing money) |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 25 October 1897; Lord Hatherton and Thomas Evans; Cannock Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Where imprisoned: | Cannock Police Station |
| Sentence: | 1 day imprisonment, detained at Saltley until 18 years of age |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 3 |
| Length: | 1) (14 September 1896) fined 1s, damages 1s and costs; 2) (21 June 1897) fined 10s and 6 strokes; 3)(27 September 1897)discharged with caution |
| For what: | 1) Stealing growing turnips; 2) stealing 4 chickens; 3) discharged fireworks |
| Father's name: | Thomas Betton |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Mother's name: | Ruth Betton |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Good |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | Cecil Street, Chadsmoor, Cannock |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | Ernest Alfred Orton |
| Notes: | |
| 19 September 1896 A previous offence was reported in the Cannock Chase Courier Saturday 19 September 1896 p.8 col.2: THE CROP IS LIGHT ENOUGH WITHOUT BEING PURLOINED George Betton and James Betton were summoned for stealing growing turnips the property of Edward Leigh at Hednesford on the 10th inst. - Plaintiff found that a lot of turnips had been pulled from his field and he laid the usual information. The damage done was estimated at 1/-. - The defendants were at West Hill School when challenged and they admitted that they pulled the turnips. - Officer Taylor said he went with Mr Leigh to West Hill School and the boys admitted that they had pulled the turnips and eaten them. - George was fined 1/- to pay the damage and pay the costs 14/6. The case against James was dismissed. | |
| 26 June 1897 Another previous offence was reported in the Cannock Chase Courier Saturday 26 June 1897 p.9 col.2: BAD BOYS. George Betton, Isaac Rotchell, Harry Dawkins, and George Brookes, small boys, of Chadsmoor, were charged with stealing chickens the property of Eliza Simbrook of Shoal Hill. The chickens were valued at 2/- - The chickens were small ones and the owner fed them and shortly afterwards missed them. - Officers Dean and Johnson went after the boys and their rnischievious conduct is best given in the words of Rotchell who said when charged he and Brooke went into the field and drove the chickens out on the common. Dawkins was watching that nobody came out of the house; "Betton was on the Common close by. I picked up three chickens and put them in a brown paper bag. I afterwards gave Dawkins and Brooks one apiece and kept one myself. When we got where Betton was Dawkins put his chick on the Common, I picked it up and gave it to Betton. Me and Brooks pulled his in bits and threw it in a bush on the Common. I turned mine out against Caddicks at Chadsmoor, and it went into a garden." The other boys admitted that this was true. - One of the lads had had a good thrashing from his parents, it appeared, the three other were fined 10/- each, including costs, and Betton was ordered to receive six strokes administered by the strong arm of P.S. Burgess. If they all had had 12 strokes it would have done them good. | |
| 30 October 1897 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Cannock Chase Courier Saturday 30 October 1897 p.8 col.3: THE WAKE AND ITS EFFECT. George Betton, a boy, was charged with stealing 3/9 the property of Henry Marshall, of Hednesford. - In this case the prosecutor left some money he had takes from his pocket on the window cill and when he looked for it he found it was gone. He gave information to P.C. Beach who detected the prisoner. - It appeared that the lad had been to the Wake with the money and Officer Beach said he searched his pockets and found that the lad had fitted himself out with a pipe and cigar holder, while he had had many rides on the hobby horses and had thus spent 2/11 and then hearing he was searched for he threw the rest away. - The boy now admitted his guilt and It was stated that his parents could do nothing with him, and the Bench ordered him to be sent to a Reformatory for four years. He had been in trouble on two occasions previously. | |
| 17 July 1900 Absconded from the School. The Reformatory Committee Log Book report of 31 July notes that: He appears to have left in a fit of temper as a result of having been as he said "clouted" by Mr Barber | |
| 8 June 1901 Sentence expired whilst absent as an absconder, discharged from Saltley | |