Saltley Reformatory

Fred Hare - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	795
Age:	12
Whence received:	H M Prison Lincoln
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Light brown
Eyes colour:	Grey
Visage:	Oval
Particular marks:	Small mole between his shoulders, tumour in centre of back
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	31 December 1885
Late residence:	48 Liquorpond Street, Boston, Lincolnshire
Parish he belongs to:	Boston
Customary work and mode of life:	School occasionally and running wild
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	4th Standard
Writes:	4th Standard
Offence:	Stealing a bracelet valued at 16s
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Bad company
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	18 December 1885; J C Simonds, mayor; Boston Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Lincoln
Sentence:	14 days hard labour in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	None
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	John Hare
Occupation:	Engine driver
Mother's name:	Eliza Ann Hare
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Honest, sober, in good health
Parents' wages:	30s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	2s per week
Parents address:	41 Liquorpond Street, Boston, Lincolnshire
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	H Bellamy, Boston
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

25 December 1885 There is a report of the crime in the Stamford Mercury Friday 25 December 1885 p.8 col.6: Fred Hare, 12, Liquorpond-street, was brought up in custody charged with stealing a silver bracelet value 15s., the property of Mr. Ely, Bargate, half-a-dozen knives and forks, value 3s. 6d., the property of T. Lidgett, Dolphin-lane and two books, value 2s. 6d., the property of J. R. Newcomb, Market-place, on Dec. 15th and 16th. Mr. and Mrs. Ely said that the boy came, in company with another, into the shop and asked to see a pin, which they did not purchase. The father of the defendant said that he had been a very troublesome lad, The prisoner elected to be tried summarily, and pleaded guilty. Sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment and five years in a reformatory school.

16 February 1888 Medical officer reports: Tumour in back. Should be removed

5 April 1888 The Reformatory Committee Log Book records Hare as requiring medical treatment for a tumour on his back

12 June 1888 The next report in the Log Book records that in the period since the previous report Hare was admitted to the General Hospital, Birmingham, and has been returned, cured

25 March 1889 The Register of Boys on Licence reports that Hare was licensed to go out and work for Mr Lockwood, Boston, Lincolnshire

14 April 1890 The Reformatory Committee Log book report records receipt of a letter from Hare, Boston Lincolnshire

19 August 1890 The Log book report records Hare as being out on licence c/o Mr Anderson, Boston Lincolnshire

21 October 1890 The Log book report in listing the boys out on licence notes "Gone to Sea" against Hare's name

9 December 1890 The Log Book report records that Hare is out on licence in Sheffield

30 December 1890 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley whilst on licence

10 February 1891 The Log book report records receipt of a letter from Hare, Boston

9 February 1892 The Reformatory Committee Log Book records receipt of a letter from Hare, via Mr Gold

12 December 1893 The Log book report records receipt of a letter from Hare, Boston, Lincolnshire

Harry Dale - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1052
Age:	14 (born 20 February 1879)
Whence received:	Burton on Trent
Description:
Complexion:	Rather dark
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Hazel
Height:	4 ft 7½ ins
Particular marks:	Pox marks on face, scar on forehead, cut over right eye and on right arm, "good(?) love" on right wrist and anchor and dots on left arm and on back of left hand
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	26 January 1894
Late residence:	24 Napier Street, Burton on Trent
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	Foundry lad
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing 9 lemons
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	19 January 1894; A J Coxon and T Turner; Burton on Trent
Where imprisoned:	Burton on Trent Workhouse
Sentence:	7 days in Workhouse, then Saltley until 19 years of age
Previous committals:
Number:	1
Length:	10s or 7 days
For what:	Stealing pheasants from a pheasantry
Father's name:	James Dale
Occupation:	Labourer
Mother's name:	Harriet Dale
Occupation:	Housewife
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Good
Parents' wages:	19s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	24 Napier Street, Burton on Trent
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	Justices' Clerk

Notes:

4 January 1894 A previous offence was reported in the Burton Chronicle Thursday 4 January 1894 p.6 col.4: RAID ON A PHEASANTRY. - At the County police court, on Tuesday morning, before M. Richardson and H. G. Nedin Esqs., James Edward Abrahams and George Abrahams, of King St., Frederick Charles Glover, William Thomas Upton and Harry Dale, of Napier St, and William McElligott, of Clarence Street, were charged with stealing hen pheasants from Mr Geo. Meakin's preserves at Branstone on the 29th of December. - The defendants are boys whose ages range. from eleven to sixteen years. - Mr. Meakin has a pheasantry in Branstone Wood, and the birds were fed as usual by his keeper, John MacLauchlan, at ten o'clock on Friday morning, but at the same hour the next morning ten of them were missed. In addition to footmarks, however, there was a trail of feathers which extended through the wood and on, across the fields, to Clarence gardens. These facts were placed before Police-constables Onions and Dunn with the result that the subjoined interesting evidence, in addition to the foregoing, was adduced. McElligott, on Friday afternoon, presented his mother with a brace of pheasants, stating that he had bought one of a lad named Upton for twopence, and had caught the other. The same day the two Abrahams visited the "Blue Stumps," Napier Street, and asked the daughter of the landlord (Mr.Taylor) to buy two live "partridges." When asked as to their possession the defendants said, "They were hopping about Jackson's field and the potato field" (which adjoin Clarence St.) The girl Taylor said she paid fourpence each for two of the birds, and for the "pretty one," which they told her was a pheasant. She mentioned the matter to her father, who was ill in bed with influenza, and he was very cross with her for the transaction. He told her to put the pheasants in a basket and, when it was dark, to turn them into the wood. These instructions were afterwards carried out by a customer. Dale subsequently brought one, and asked ninepence for it, but her mother directed him to return it to the place whence he had stolen it. Ann Smail, a widow, was another witness, and she said Glover asked her to buy "a bird" for threepence, he adding that he caught it as it was hopping about in a potato field. This she agreed to, but she did not know the real nature of the purchase, and afterwards hearing that some boys had been concerned in a robbery, she threw "the bird" (which was dead) into the road. - Harriett Dale, mother of one of the prisoners, said she was absent from home some time on Friday, and on returning she saw a saucepan on the fire She questioned her son as to "what he had there," and he replied "a pheasant. It was running about the hedge in the potato field." Later on she heard a rumour as to a bird robbery, and, taking the pot from the fire, she threw the pheasant away. - Herbert Low, a cooper's apprentice, who observed the defendant's going in and returning from the direction of the pheasantry, said he purchased one of the pheasants for a penny, but as someone pointed out to him that he had made a very risky bargain, he "sent it over the Leicester line." - Police-constable Onions spoke to arresting the defendants, who gave a detailed account of the raid, and showed that all were about equally implicated in the affair. - The Bench fined each, with the exception of George Abrahams, 10s. The latter, a boy of eleven, was before the Bench in August, when he was released on his father's recognizances, and he was now ordered to be birched.

25 January 1894 There is a report of the crime that sent him to Saltley in the Burton Chronicle Thursday 25 January 1894 p.7 col.1: THE SHOP ROBBERY BY BOYS. - Nine boys, Wm. Upton, Henry Dale, William Golby, William Sutton, Arnold Roe, Robert William Woodham, and William Dexter, of Napier Street, and Wm. McElligott, of Clarence Street, were charged with stealing nine lemons, valued at 9d. - The two first-named and McElligott were before the County Bench at a recent sitting on the charge of robbing Mr. G. Meakin's pheasantry. The prosecutor, Broome Johnson, keeps a small grocer's shop in Clarence Street, and his wife stated that on the evening of the 10th inst, she heard a slight noise on the outside of the window, and proceeding to ascertain the cause she saw three boys running away When she returned to the shop she missed nine lemons, and found that the glass had been broken at a spot where previously there was a very small aperture. - The matter was placed in the hands of the police and the boys were arrested by Police-constable Dunn, when they freely admitted their guilt. - McElligott, who is over sixteen years of age, was sentenced to a month's Imprisonment, an order was made for the detention of Upton and Dale in a reformatory - the former for four years and the latter for five, and the others were fined 5s. each.

Between being convicted and going to Saltley there was a further adventure, as reported in the same newspaper p.5 col.3: The boys Upton, Dale, and Golby, who were remanded by the Borough magistrates to the workhouse pending their removal to a reformatory, they having been twice convicted of theft, shot the lock of the cell in which they were confined and escaped on Sunday. The police were immediately apprised of the occurrence by telephone, and Police-constables Dunn and Kent went in search of the recalcitrants. Dale was at home when one of the officers called at the house, and, scenting the object of the stranger's visit, hastily retreated, but was captured after a smart chase. The others were secured after a sprint or two over the potato field, in which, it will be remembered, they told the County Bench that they saw Mr. Meakin's pheasants hopping about.

[undated, but related to next Note] There is missive from Dale, headed Arthur Mould, Plumber, Painter, Glazier, Gas,and Water Fitter, 288 Uxbridge Street, Burton on Trent. Sir, I am writing to tell you I have got work at the above named address. and I am going to start tomorrow, Monday. I am, sir, yours obediently, Harry Dale

17 August 1896 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Dale was licensed to go out and work for Mr A Mould, 288 Uxbridge Street, Burton on Trent. In the next report in the Register, this was amended to the Manager, Messers Bass, Ratcliffe, and Gretton, Burton on Trent

20 February 1898 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley

No. in Admissions Register:	699
Age:	15
Whence received:	H M Prison Birmingham
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Brown
Visage:	Oval
Particular marks:	Scar on forehead
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	3 May 1882
Late residence:	15 Shetland Passage, West Bromwich
Parish he belongs to:	West Bromwich
Customary work and mode of life:	Hawker
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	5th Standard
Writes:	5th Standard
Offence:	Stealing 4s
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Keeping bad company
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	4 April 1882; W F F Bingham, Stipendiary; Wednesbury
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Birmingham
Sentence:	1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	2
Length:	1) 1 month in prison; 2) 1 month
For what:	1) Stealing 1s; 2) stealing 7s 5d
Father's name:	Joseph Beale
Occupation:	Tailor
Mother's name:	Elizabeth Beale
Occupation:	Tailoress
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Good
Parents' wages:	Not known
Amount parents agree to pay:	No order made
Parents address:	91 Guns Lane, West Bromwich
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	The Clerk of the Peace of the County of Stafford will be responsible for the payment of the weekly maintenance. I hold a note from him to that effect - W Winfield
Person making this return:	W Winfield, for the Governor of H M Prison, Birmingham

Notes:

4 Novemver 1881 A previous crime is reported in the Lichfield Mercury Friday 4 November 1881 p.8 col.1: JUVENILE THIEVES. - Harry Beale (13), of Bratt Street, was charged with stealing 1s. from the house of John Jesson, Moor Street, on the 24th. Prisoner was sent to gaol for one month.

Henry Hinckley - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	338
Date of admission:	26 June 1866
Whence received:	Stafford
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Hazel
Perfect vision?	Yes
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Sound intellect?	Yes
Use of all limbs?	Yes
Had cow or small pox?	Cowpox
Particular marks:	-
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	No
Age last birthday:	12
Illegitimate?	-
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Newcastle, Staffordshire
Parish he belongs to:	Newcastle, Staffordshire
Customary work and mode of life:	-
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Stealing money, 16s 8d
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Bad company
Date of sentence:	26 March 1866
Where convicted:	Newcastle
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	3 months prison, 3 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	None
Father's name:	John Hinckley
Occupation:	Plumber
Residence:	Newcastle
Mother's name:	Jane Hinckley
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Kind
Character of parents	Good. Healthy
Parents' wages:	25s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	2s per week
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	-
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	25 Jun 1869 - discharged on expiration of sentence

Notes:

31 March 1866 There is a lengthy report of the crime in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 31 March 1866 p.7 col.5: ROBBERIES BY A GANG OF JUVENILES.-Henry Hinchley [surname spelled thus]. 12. Samuel Keene, 17. Joseph Meaden, 14. and William Bullock, 15 years old, were charged with having stolen 16s. 8d. and two basins from the shop of Thomas Lovatt, china dealer, Liverpool-road, on the 3rd of March. The prisoners pleaded guilty, and confessed that, about half-past ten o'clock on the night in question, Hinchley took off his boots and, while the others were watching, went into the shop and took ore of the basins containing silver, with which they ran away. After dividing the money, they threw the basin over a wall near the Vine. Liverpool-road. They then returned to the shop, and Hinchley went in again, and fetched the basin containing coppers. That basin they threw into a garden in Hassell Street. Prosecutor said he believed that the two basins contained altogether about. £2 2s. Sergeant Lea. who gave evidence as to a confession made by Bullock, and assented to by the other prisoners, said that Bullock told him he could keep him writing for a fortnight If he would write down all the offences he and his companions had committed. Superintendent Williams said that amongst the thefts to which the prisoners confessed, and which, from enquiries, he found had been committed within the past two or three weeks, were the following:- They had stolen 2s. 6d. from a shop In the Liverpool Road; 10s. from the shop of Mr. Jenkinson, draper, Liverpool Road ; a box of figs from the shop of Mr. Birks, grocer; a bottle of wine from the shop of Mr. Lawton, near the Old Church Gates; a bottle of rum from Hughes's vaults. Bridge Street; a bottle of sweets from the shop of Mr. Randles, Ironmarket; three boxes of sardines from Mr. Watson's shop, Ironmarket; two loaves of bread from the shop of Mrs. Sulivan, Merrial Street; 1½ lb. of pig puddings from Mr. Rhead's, Bridge Street; a bottle of pickled onions from Mr. Wright's. Lower Street; some "chittlins" from the shop of Mr. Eardley, Bridge Street; two oranges from a greengrocer's shop in Church Street (in which they intended committing further robbery, hut they were overheard while making their arrangements); two pigeons from Mr Bayley's; a bottle of Everton toffy from Mr. Highfield's, Red Lion Square; £1 2s. from the office of Mr. Leech, at the coal wharf in the Liverpool Road. On Friday the prisoners made another attempt to rob Mr. Leech, who, however, had kept watch and caught the thieves. Hinchley had in his possession when taken into custody a loaded pistol. Superintendent Williams added that the same youth, although only 12 years of age, had purchased a watch at the shop of Mr. John Williams, jeweller, for £1 2s., the proceeds of one of the robberies. Mr. John Williams was sent for, and the Mayor told him that he was not justified in selling a watch to such a small boy without making any inquiries. Mr. Williams said that the lad who came to the shop said his father had sent him for the watch in the window marked 22s., and he did not think there was anything suspicious about it. After a conversation upon the subject it was explained that Hinchley had not fetched the watch himself, but that he had sent another and a larger boy to purchase it for him, which altered the appearance of the transaction in the estimation of the Bench. Mr. Williams took back the watch, and handed the 22s. to Mr. Leech, from whom it had been stolen. Keene was sent to gaol for six months under the Criminal Justice Act. The other three were sentenced under the Juvenile Offenders' Act-Buxton [must be a misprint for Bullock], Meaden, and Hinchley to three months' imprisonment, the latter two to be once whipped and to be sent to a reformatory for three years.

25 June 1869 Discharged

October 1870 Doing well at Newcastle

Edwin Jeremiah Shale - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	421
Age:	14
Whence received:	Birmingham Borough Prison
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Grey
Visage:	-
Particular marks:	Scar on stomach, mole on left arm
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission and term:	8 February 1870 5 years
Late residence:	Bissell Street, Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	Birmingham
Customary work and mode of life:	Brass caster
Whether illegitimate:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all
Writes:	Not at all
Offence:	Stealing 20 lbs of iron
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence, by who and court:	9 December 1869, Birmingham Police Court, J Phillips and C Cope Esqs
Where imprisoned:	Borough Prison
Sentence:	2 months prison (hard labour), 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	1
Length:	3 months
For what:	Stealing 5s
Father's name:	Edwin Smith
Occupation:	Coach smith
Mother's name:	Catherine
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	-
Character of parents	Honest and industrious, boy says drunken
Parents' wages:	10s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	Nothing
Parents address:	Dymock Street, Birmingham
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	G Glossop
Person making this return:	D Meadon

Notes:

8 March 1875 On board the Lion training ship, Devonport