William Sayer - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 743 |
| Age: | 13 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Light brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | Mole on upper part of right arm |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Slender |
| Date of admission: | 19 January 1884 |
| Late residence: | 11 Haywoods Row, Tunstall |
| Parish he belongs to: | Tunstall |
| Customary work and mode of life: | No occupation |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing a pair of boots |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 20 December 1883; Richard(?) and John Peake; Court of Summary Jurisdiction Tunstall |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month hard labour in prison, 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 2 |
| Length: | 1) 8 strokes; 2) 19 strokes |
| For what: | 1) Stealing jacket; 2) stealing money |
| Father's name: | Francis Sayer |
| Occupation: | Potter |
| Mother's name: | Mary Ann Sayer |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Father used to punish him unjustly, mother treats him kindly |
| Character of parents | Honest, sober, and in good health |
| Parents' wages: | 21s 6d per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | 1s per week proposed by parents |
| Parents address: | 11 Haywoods Row, Tunstall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | James Hall, Superintendent of Police, Tunstall |
| Person making this return: | R Moor Lamb, solicitor and Assistant Clerk to the Stipendiary Magistrate |
| Notes: | |
| 22 December 1883 There is a report of the crime on the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 22 December 1883 p.6 col.6: TUNSTALL. - TUESDAY. (before J Edge, R. Heath, Jun. and J. N. Peake, Esqrs.) THEFT FROM SHOP DOORS. - William Sayer, 13, Henry Nash, 12, James Brace, 13, James Gibson, 10, and George Lythgoe, 13, were charged with stealing a pair of boots, of the value of 5s. 11d., belonging to William Tyler. The boots were stolen from the prosecutor's shop door and offered in pledge at the shop of Mr, Turner. Police-sergt. Moore and Police-constable Whitehouse gave evidence showing that all the defendants were implicated in the theft. The same prisoners were also charged with stealing two pairs of boots from the shop of Joseph Middlebrook, Market-square, Tunstall, on the 15th. and 17th. inst. ln this case the boots had been pledged at two shops. Sayer and Nash were sent to prison for a month and to a reformatory for four years each, Brace was sentenced to receive twelve strokes with a birch-rod and Gibson and Lythgoe six each. | |
| 3 March 1884 Medical officer reports: Chronic diarrhoea, well by 10 March | |
| 22-26 May 1885 Medical officer reports: Psoriasis, followed by tonsilitis 8-14 June, dibilis 15-16 June | |
| 21 September 1885 Sayer was involved in a drowning, as reported in the Coleshill Chronicle Saturday 26 September 1885 p.8 col.a 3-4: SAD CASE OF DROWNING. At noon on Tuesday last, 23rd inst., an inquest was held at Hams Hall, Lea Marston, before Dr. C. W. Iliffe, Coroner, on view of the body of Thomas Malpass, aged 16, of the Saltley Reformatory School, who was drowned in the pool, in Hams Park, on the previous day, under the following distressing circumstances. The jury, selected by Lord Norton, comprised Richard Williams, Henry Brighouse, Charles Showell, Samuel Statham, John Capewell, Samuel Scattergood, James Ollerhead, Robert Wimbush, John Keeling, Richard Cox, George Daken Townsend, and Edward Mercer - the whole being employed on the estate with the exception of Mr. Keeling (who was chosen foreman) and Mr. Townsend. Having viewed the spot where the fatality occurred, and also the body, which had been removed to the fire engine house connected with the Hall, the following evidence was taken: - Harry F. Fish, the recently-appointed superintendent of the Saltley Reformatory, identified deceased as Thomas Malpass, aged 16; his father's name being Thomas Malpass, of Marsh-street, Hanley. Deceased was admitted to that institution on 12th June, 1884, and consequently had been an inmate a year and three months. - William Wilkinson, 17, another boy at the Saltley Reformatory, deposed that on the previous morning, Monday, 21st inst., the whole of the school (about seventy) left Saltley Station by the 10.25 train, and arrived at Forge Mills, in order to spend the day in Hams Park, at the invitation of Lord Norton. About three o'clock some of them proceeded to the pool in the park to bathe, deceased, who could not swim, being one of the number. His lordship had said to them "All those boys who can swim, hold up your hands." The deceased, Thos. Malpass, held up his hand with others, and then they went to the pool, and undressed, and deceased pitched in. He (witness) thought be was only acting, as he was stroking his face with water, as they frequently did when first going in. Seeing deceased was in danger, Ford then went in to the rescue, but was exhausted. Another boy named Sayers, then went in, and deceased grasped him, and he (witness) saw both were in danger, and plunged in and rescued Sayers with considerable difficulty. Malpass then went down. He (Wilkinson) tried again to get him to the bank, but failed. He gave an alarm, and ultimately he was got out of the water, but he was dead. - ln reply to the Coroner, Mr Fish said deceased was not subject to fits, so far as he could ascertain. It was also stated that the water was rather cold, but there was no current, it being a dammed up pool. - Arthur Settles, labour master at Saltley Reformatory, sworn, said he was in charge of the boys on the previous day. He was on the bank side, and saw them undress and get in; six or seven boys were in the water together. He noticed that deceased and those who attempted to rescue him were in danger, but as he (Settles) could not swim himself, he thought it would only be adding to the danger if he got into the water, especially as he could not see the bottom. He reached a stick to deceased, and saw Sayers was also in danger, and so attended to him. The water was said to be 5 feet 2 inches at the time, and all the boys said they could not bottom it. - William Sayers, who seemed much affected, deposed that he did his best to save his school-fellow, as he could swim himself. Deceased, however, caught hold of him round the neck, and he was nearly drowned himseif. - Lord Norton having spoken especially of the gallant action of Sayers, and of the other boys who did all they possibly could to save their companion the learned Coroner summed up in his usual feeling manner. He said it was another of those sad instances in which the bright and happy prospects of the morning are blighted before the close of day. He urged the necessity of young people learning to swim; and remarked that he did not think blame was attached to the labour-master, or to anyone else, as Settle's not being able to swim might have increased the danger, had he rushed into the water, not being acquainted with the depth. Death undoubtedly arose from asphyxia, brought about by accidental drowning, at a quarter-past three p.m. on 21st Sept., at a pool in Lord Norton's park in the parish of Lea Marston. - To this the jurymen unanimously agreed. - Sayers (who was a long time coming to, but the efforts of Dr. Wall and others were ultimately repaid) was awarded 5s. for his gallantry, and Ford 2s. 6d. Wilkinson, however, and the old man William Thompson, who got deceased out of the water, seemed both to be overlooked for their risk and trouble in the matter. - We believe the expenses attending the funeral were defrayed by his lordship. A most unusual circumstance occurred in connection with the foregoing inquest, and which, as it has given rise to general discussion in Coleshill and the neighbourhood, had become an open secret and therefore may be noticed in our columns. Acting on the Coroner's warrant, our local police officers, in the execution of their duty, had summoned Messrs. E. Watson, W. Stroud, J. Booth, J. Burton, A. Bush, G. Walthew, J. Penn, H. A. Shepherd, J. C. Tuckley, and C. E. Chamberlain, all residents of, and the majority being tradesmen in, Coleshill, to serve as jurymen. All proceeded to Hams at the time ordered, but on arriving at and near to the park, they were peremptorily told to return, as Lord Norton would have no Coleshill men there or on the jury, but residents in Lea Marston only. This mandate excited considerable surprise and indignation, and was regarded as a decided snub, to say the least, to the Coleshill gentlemen. - On mentioning the matter to his lordship the following day, he wished us to say, in explanation, that he was not aware the Colesnill jurymen had arrived at the park; that he considered a simple case, as this unfortunate accident was, could be decided by those near at hand, without tradesmen from Coleshill leaving their businesses and engagements to attend an inquest at that distance from home; and so far as a "snub" was considered, certainly none was intended, and the Lea Marston people might have regarded the preference given to Coleshill in the same light. - We understand that nine of the ten Coleshill men summoned received the legal fee at the hands of Sergt. Walker (in addition to the twelve empanelled), the amount, 9s., being refunded to him by Lord Norton. | |
| 22-23 September 1885 Medical officer reports: Localised peritonitis after bathing, 24 September progressing, ordered downstairs | |
| 30 December 1885 Medical officer reports: Diarrhoea | |
| 21 January 1887 Licensed to work dor Mr R H Featherstone, Market Square, Tunstall | |
| 20 September 1887 The Reformatory Committee Log Book (a summary of activities at the School) records that Sayers is still on licence but c/o Mr Alfred Meakins, Tunstall, whereas the Register of Boys On Licence records that he is still working for Mr Featherstone, Tunstall | |
| 8 November 1887 The next report in the Log Book has the same contradiction. The Log Book reports Sayer as out on licence working for Alfred Meakin, Royal Albert Works, Tunstall, whereas the Register Of Boys On Licence shows him working for Messers G & F Booth, Tunstall | |
| 18 January 1888 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley whilst out on licence | |
| 11 December 1888 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Sayer, Tunstall | |
| 11 June 1889 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Sayer, Burslem | |
William Sayer - Saltley Reformatory Inmate