William Tomkinson - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1201 |
| Age: | 12 (born 14 August 1886) |
| Whence received: | The Guildhall, Walsall |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Mottled grey |
| Eyes colour: | Light |
| Height: | 4 ft 6 ins |
| Particular marks: | 4 vacc. [marks] left arm; scar front left leg and knee |
| State of health: | Fair |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 13 June 1899 |
| Late residence: | 17 Church Street, Walsall |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | - |
| Whether illegitimate: | Yes |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Well |
| Writes: | Well |
| Offence: | Stealing 2 pencils value 2d |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Lack of parental control |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 12 June 1899; T Russell, J T Cottam, and J F Crump; Guildhall, Walsall |
| Where imprisoned: | - |
| Sentence: | 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 2 |
| Length: | 1) (8 November 1897) 12 strokes birch rod; 2) (5 June 1899) 6 strokes birch rod |
| For what: | 1) Stealing oranges; 2) stealing iron |
| Father's name: | William Smith |
| Occupation: | Filer |
| Mother's name: | Sarah Ann Tomkinson |
| Occupation: | Charwoman |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Very neglectful |
| Character of parents | Father nothing known, |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 17 Church Street, Walsall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | C A Loxton |
| Notes: | |
| 13 November 1897 A previous offence was reported in the Walsall Advertiser Saturday 13 November 1897 p.8 col.7: AFTER THE NUTS AND ORANGES. Robert Meason (15), Walter Coleman (10), both of Peal Street, Wm. Austin (14) and Wm. Smith (11) [his father's surname], both of Church Street, were charged with stealing from 42, Bank Street, a quantity of oranges, lemons, and nuts, value 3s , the property of Frances Lawrence, on Sunday. When arrested and charged jointly by Detective Haycock, Austin replied, "We had some, but not so many as are we are charged with," and the others said, "That's right." Prisoners now pleaded not guilty. Meason and Austin were sent to a reformatory for four years, and Coleman and Smith were each ordered a birching - 12 strokes. | |
| 3 June 1899 Another previous offence was reported in the Walsall Advertiser Saturday 3 June 1899 p.8 col.6: SECOND DOSE OF THE BIRCH ROD. A youth of 10, named John Henry Tompkinson, living at 17, Church Street, was placed in the dock to answer a charge of stealing two iron grates, value 8d, the property of Mr. Thomas Hanbury, the landlord of the Old Still, Digbeth, on the 28th May, or with receiving them knowing them to have been stolen. - On Friday evening Mr. Hanbury saw the prisoner and other boys in the yard tampering with the grating which covered the drain traps. Subsequently he saw the prisoner leaving the yard with a bag in his possession, and asked him what he had In the bag, to which he replied "rags and bones and old iron." On witness looking into the bag he found two iron grates (produced). - Police- constable Hawkes took the lad into custody, and in reply to the charge he said he got the grates from Lordie Howl. - It transpired that the boy had already been flogged for a similar offence, and the Bench ordered him to receive six more strokes with the birch rod. | |
| 10 June 1899 Another previous offence was reported in the Walsall Advertiser Saturday 10 June 1899 p.8 col.5: MORE THEFTS OF "OLD" IRON - AND MORE BIRCH. William Howell (11), 62, New Street, George Sutton (9), 15, Gorton's Yard, and William Tomkinson (12), 17, Church Street, were charged with having stolen a quantity of iron, value 2s., the property of George Pugstay, of Dudley Street, on June 2nd. - Complainant (who was totally deaf and who had answer the questions through the medium of his wife) said that he missed the iron on Saturday morning. - Ann Jones, of 17, George Street, said that the iron (produced) was brought to her shop by the defendants, and offered to her for sale, and she purchased it. - Detective Jones spoke to having arrested defendants, who, when charged, said that they found the iron over a wall in Bath Street, and had sold it for twopence. - Defendants pleaded guilty, and they were each ordered to receive six strokes with the birch-rod. | |
| 17 June 1899 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Walsall Advertiser Saturday 17 June 1899 p.8 col.5: THE BIRCH ROD A FAILURE. For the third Monday in succession two small boys appeared before the Bench on charges of theft. On the two previous occasions they had half-a-doxen strokes with the birch rod. but this did not seem to have the desired effect. Their names were William Tomkinson (12), 17, Church Street, and William Howell (11), of 62, New Street, and they were now called upon to answer a charge of stealing a lead pencil each, the property of Joseph Willis, of the Arcade. On Friday Miss Lilian Kendrick, who was in charge of the shop, saw one of the boys pick up a lead pencil from a box at the door, and run off. George Sansom, the caretaker of the Arcade, caught them. - Tomkinson, in answer the charge, said he had only taken one blacklead, and he said to Howell, "You had one," to which Howell replied, "I know I did." - Tomkinson was sent to a reformatory for four years, and Howell was ordered to have a third half-dozen from the birch, the Chairman expressing the hope that this time he would be made to feel it. | |
| 27 February 1902 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Tomkinson was licensed to go out and work for Mr Conville, Bath Street, Walsall | |
| 11 June 1903 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
| 14 June 1904 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Tomkinson, Walsall | |