James Page - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1256 |
| Age: | 14 (born 12 June 1886) |
| Whence received: | Wednesbury Petty Sessions |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh, slightly mottled |
| Hair colour: | Black |
| Eyes colour: | Slatey brown |
| Height: | 4 ft 5¾ ins |
| Particular marks: | Small scar back of head; vacc. [marks] both arms; bad teeth in front of upper jaw |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 26 January 1901 |
| Late residence: | 14 Blakemoor Lane, Darlaston |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Nil. An associate of juvenile thieves |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly, Standard 2 |
| Writes: | Imperfectly, Standard 2 |
| Offence: | Stealing a pair of boots |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Parental neglect |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 22 January 1901; A N Partridge and E Horton; Wednesbury Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | - |
| Sentence: | Detained at Saltley until 19 years of age |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 2 |
| Length: | 1) (25 October 1898) -; 2) (6 November 1899) - |
| For what: | 1) Wilful damage; 2) stealing a bicycle |
| Father's name: | Paul Page |
| Occupation: | Collier |
| Mother's name: | Mary Ann Page |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Not good |
| Character of parents | Both father and mother of drunken habits. Father has been convicted of drunkenness and has been sent to gaol for one month for cruelty to his children |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 14 Blakemoor Lane, Darlaston |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Superintendent Sale |
| Person making this return: | J George Thursfield |
| Notes: | |
| 4 February 1896 His father and mother were in trouble as reported in the Birmingham Mail Tuesday 4 February 1896: ELEVEN PEOPLE IN TWO ROOMS. - At Wednesbury, to-day. on the complaint of the Children’s Protection Society, William Ash Ball, furnaceman, Darlaston, for cruelly neglecting his four children was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. His wife was discharged. - Paul Page, miner, for a like offence was sentenced to a month, and his wife to two months. In the latter case there were two families numbering eleven persons living in a two-roomed house. | |
| 29 October 1898 A previous offence was reported in the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Observer Saturday 29 October 1898 p.7 col.6: DAMAGING INSULATORS - At the same Court, Arthur Foster (14), Luke Beech (12), John Thorne (10), Wiliiam Rotherham (9), Isaac Thomas (11), James Page (12), all of Darlaston, were summoned for breaking telegraph insulators, on the 6th September, the property of the London and North-Western Railway. - Mr Waters who prosecuted, said that in this case the boys were smaller, but the damage was very much more serious. Where insulators were damaged and the telegraph apparatus got out of order the consequences might be very serious. During three weeks no fewer than 23 insulators had been broken in that particular neighbourhood, and on going round again on a recent date a lot more were found broken. - The Stipendiary remarked that the best punishment they could have would be a good birching. - Each of the defendants was fined 1s., and ordered to pay 2d. damage aid the costs, or three days in the cells in default. | |
| 11 November 1899 Another previous offence was reported in the Bridgnorth Journal and South Shropshire Advertiser Saturday 11 November 1899 p.7 col.3: STEALING A BICYCLE FOR A LARK. At Darlaston on Monday, James Page (13), of Pinfold Street, was charged with stealing a bicycle the property of Gabriel Banks, a tradesman. It was alleged that the prisoner entered the prosecutor's yard on the 29th ult. and took the bicycle. When charged with the offence he said he took it for a lark. - The magistrates admonished the accused, ordered him to pay the costs, and to come up for judgment three months hence. | |
| 22 January 1901 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Wolverhampton Express and Star Tuesday 22 January 1901 p.3 col.2: BOOT STEALING AT DARLASTON. A PAWNBROKER COMMENDED BY THE BENCH. - This afternoon, at the Wednesbury Police Court, before Messrs A. H. Partridge and E. Horton, John Lloyd (14), of Great Croft-street, Darlaston, and James Page (14), of Blakemore's-lane, Darlaston, were charged with stealing a pair of boots, value 3s. 11d., the property of Charles Edward Malford, of Upper High-street, Wednesbury, on . the 15th inst. - Prosecutor said he placed the boots outside his shop on the date in question, and they were safe at six o'clock. He did not see the boots again until a police officer brought them to him. - William Henry Sproat, who assists his father, a pawnbroker, of New-street, Darlaston, said the defendants came to the shop at 8 p.m. the 15th inst. They said they wanted to pawn the pair of boots (produced) for 2s.3d. The lads told witness that the boots belonged to a Mrs. Roberts. Witness then told defendants to fetch Mrs. Roberts. They went away, but returned a little later and stated that Mrs. Roberts' baby was ill with bronchitis, and she could not come. Witness would not take the boots. and the defendants then went away. When arrested by Police-constable Watson on the 18th inst. defendants admitted their guilt. - Lloyd was dealt with under the First Offenders' Act, and bound over to come up for judgment when called upon, and Page was ordered to be detained in a reformatory until he reached the age of nineteen years. - Mr. Partridge (presiding magistrate) said the position taken up by the pawnbroker was particularly praiseworthy. If pawnbrokers would only exercise a greater care in receiving goods the magistrate would have fewer cases of that kind to deal with. | |
| 15 August 1903 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Page was licensed to go out and work for Mr S Arnold, Maxstoke, near Coleshill | |
| 11 June 1905 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley | |