| No. in Admissions Register: | 260 |
| Date of admission: | 4 August 1863 |
| Whence received: | Stafford County Prison |
| By whom brought: | - |
| On what terms: | - |
| Friends interested in him: | - |
| Description: | |
| Height: | - |
| Figure: | - |
| Complexion: | Light |
| Hair colour: | Light brown |
| Eyes colour: | Dark |
| Perfect vision? | Yes |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Sound intellect? | Yes |
| Use of all limbs? | Yes |
| Had cow or small pox? | Yes |
| Particular marks: | Cut in the middle of forehead |
| Cutaneous disorder? | No |
| Scrofulous or consumptive? | No |
| Subject to fits? | No |
| Age last birthday: | 12 |
| Illegitimate? | No |
| Birthday: | - |
| Birth place: | - |
| Has resided: | Workhouse Lane, Wednesbury |
| Parish he belongs to: | Wednesbury |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Labourer in a forge |
| Schools attended: | - |
| By whom and where employed: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | A little |
| Writes: | A little |
| Cyphers: | - |
| General ability: | - |
| Offence: | Stealing iron |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence: | 21 July 1863 |
| Where convicted: | Wednesbury |
| Who prosecuted: | - |
| Where imprisoned: | - |
| Sentence: | - |
| Previous committals and convictions: | Several charges (1 month) |
| Father's name: | James Bird |
| Occupation: | Railway labourer |
| Residence: | Workhouse Lane, Wednesbury |
| Mother's name: | Elizabeth Bird |
| Occupation: | - |
| Residence: | - |
| Father's character: | Given to drink |
| Mother's character: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Nothing known against them. Father's health bad |
| Parents' wages: | 18s a week when in work |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | The magistrate will make inquiry. At present he is of opinion the father is not capable of paying anything |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Inspector Holland, police station Wednesbury |
| Relatives to communicate with: | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Estimate of character on admission: | - |
| Character on discharge: | - |
| When and how left the Reformatory: | Discharged on 3 Aug 1868 |
Notes:
| 18 April 1863 There is a short report of his previous offence in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 18 April 1863 p.2 col.7: William Bird, a lad eleven years of age, was charged with wilfully damaging railway waggons, the property of Messrs. Lloyd, Foster and Co. On Sunday week the prisoner, with two other lads removed the "scotches" from the wheels of some of the Great Western Railway Company's waggons standing near the prosecutor's works, and also released the breaks. The waggons, which were situated at the top of an incline, were in consequence set in motion, and with some violence descended the incline and struck the prosecutor's property, doing damage to the amount of about £11. Prisoner was sentenced to one month's hard labour. |
| 3 August 1868 Discharged |
| August 1869 At Wednesbury. Doubtful [character] |
| January 1871 At Wednesbury. Good |
William Jackson [of Tunstall] - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 592 |
| Age: | 15 |
| Whence received: | Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Sallow |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission and term: | 27 December 1877 3 years |
| Late residence: | Goldenhill, Tunstall, Staffordshire |
| Parish he belongs to: | Goldenhill |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Driver in coal pit |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 7s |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by who and court: | 27 November 1877, Burslem Police Court, H C Greenwood |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month (hard labour), 3 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | None |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Ann Jackson |
| Occupation: | Charwoman |
| Parents dead? | Father |
| Survivor married again? | No |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Good |
| Parents' wages: | About 10s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | 1s per week |
| Parents address: | Booth Street, Goldenhill, Tunstall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
Notes:
| 27 November 1877 There is a report of the crime in the Staffordshire Sentinel 27 November 1877 o,3 col.3: A YOUNG GOLDENHILLS THIEF.-William Jackson, sixteen, was charged with stealing seven shillings from the till of Mr. J. Jeffreys', cook shop, at Goldenhill, on the 26th inst. He was further charged with stealing a bottle of ginger ale.-A boy named Lightfoot, said that the prisoner went into the prosecutor's shop and behind the counter. The prisoner said he was going to get some coal. Shortly after the prisoner ran out, Mrs. Jeffreys following him. Mrs. Jeffreys caught witness by mistake. Eliza Jefferys said that she heard a noise in the shop at about three o'clock on Monday afternoon. She heard the drawer open, and ran to the door of the shop. She saw the prisoner running away. She caught Lightfoot, who was a companion of the prisoner, and dragged him into the shop. He denied having taken any money, saying that it was the prisoner. She afterwards counted the money in the drawer, and was sure he had taken at least seven shillings.-P.C. Moore apprehended the prisoner, who denied the theft.-The boy had frequently committed small thefts which had been compromised.- Prisoner pleaded not guilty.-He was sent to prison for a month, and afterwards to a reformatory for three years. |
Robert Southern - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 116 |
| Date of admission: | 12 October 1857 |
| Whence received: | Liverpool Borough Gaol |
| By whom brought: | - |
| On what terms: | Committed |
| Friends interested in him: | - |
| Description: | |
| Height: | - |
| Figure | - |
| Complexion: | Light |
| Hair colour: | Light |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Perfect vision? | Yes |
| State of health | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Sound intellect? | Yes |
| Use of all limbs? | Yes |
| Had cow or small pox? | Vaccinated |
| Particular marks: | Slight mark under right ear from a burn |
| Cutaneous disorder? | No |
| Scrofulous or consumptive? | No |
| Subject to fits? | No |
| Age last birthday: | 10 |
| Illegitimate? | No |
| Birthday: | - |
| Birth place: | - |
| Has resided: | 3 Cartwright Place, Byron Street, Liverpool |
| Parish to which he belongs: | Liverpool |
| Customary work and mode of life: | None |
| Schools attended: | St John's Government School, Cross Hall Street, Liverpool |
| By whom and where employed | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Knows the alphabet |
| Writes: | - |
| Cyphers: | - |
| General ability: | - |
| Offence: | Stealing £3 from his grandmother |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence: | 9 September 1857 |
| Where convicted: | Liverpool before J S Mansfield, Esq |
| Sentence: | 34 days in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Where imprisoned: | - |
| Previous committals and convictions: | None |
| Father's name: | William Southern |
| Occupation | Delivery foreman, Albert Dock: |
| Residence: | 3 Cartwright Place, Byron Street, Liverpool |
| Mother's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Residence: | - |
| Father's character: | Occasionally drinks |
| Mother's character: | - |
| Parent's dead? | Mother dead |
| Survivor married again? | Yes |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Kind |
| Character of parents: | - |
| Parents' wages: | 24s per week |
| Weekly amount parents will pay: | 1s 6d |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Relatives to communicate with: | - |
| Person making this return: | Rev T Carter, Chaplain, Liverpool Borough Gaol |
| Estimate of character on admission: | - |
| Character on discharge: | - |
| When and how left the Reformatory: | - |
Notes:
| 3 September 1857 There is a very brief report of his crime in the Liverpool Daily Post Thursday 3 September 1857 p.7 col.4: A BAD BOY. - A lad named Robert Southern, about ten years old, was remanded on a charge of having stolen £3 10s from his grandmother, in Cartwright;s Place. |
| 1 February 1858 very quiet boy. Name on Good Conduct List |
| 31 October 1860 absconded after dinner |
Edward Hillman - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 824 |
| Age: | 14 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Pale |
| Hair colour: | Dark brown |
| Eyes colour: | Brown |
| Height: | 3 ft 8 ins |
| Particular marks: | Several small scars on forehead, burn mark right shoulder |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Slender |
| Date of admission: | 16 August 1886 |
| Late residence: | 18 Princes Street, Hanley (Shelton) |
| Parish he belongs to: | Hanley |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Labourer at the forge |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Offence: | Stealing sweets from a shop |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 17 July 1886; J S Crapper and J Charlesworth; Hanley Police Court |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford Gaol |
| Sentence: | 1 month hard labour in prison, 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | None |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | Matthew Hillman |
| Occupation: | Furnace man |
| Mother's name: | Eliza Hillman |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Well-treated |
| Character of parents | Honest and sober. In good health |
| Parents' wages: | Father earns 17s 6d during last 2 months, working only 2½ hours per week out of a possible 6 |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Should pay 1s 6d per week |
| Parents address: | 18 or 23 Princes Street, Shelton, Hanley |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | Herbert Windle, Chief Constable, Hanley |
| Notes: | |
| 30 September 1889 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Hillman was licensed to go out and work for Messers Johnson Bros, Hanley | |
| 15 August 1890 Sentence expired. Discharged from Saltley | |
| 3 February 1894 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Hillman, Stoke on Trent | |
Thomas Owen - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1080 |
| Age: | 15 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Blue |
| Height: | 4 ft 9½ ins |
| Particular marks: | 3 small moles inside lower right arm, scar inside left thigh |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 25 October 1894 |
| Late residence: | Seighford, near Stafford |
| Parish he belongs to: | Seighford |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Farm servant, c/o Mr Burton, Seighford, Stafford |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Wounding, following an attempt to criminally assault a girl |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Nothing reported |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 16 October 1894; Lord Hatherton; Stafford Quarter Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 10 days hard labour in prison, 3 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | None |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | James Owen |
| Occupation: | Farm servant |
| Mother's name: | Lydia Owen |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Good |
| Parents' wages: | 13s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Not reported |
| Parents address: | Seighford, near Stafford |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | Mr F Blakiston, Clerk of the Peace |
| Notes: | |
| 11 August 1894 There is a newspaper cutting attached to the Admissions Register detailing the crime. It is from the Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 11 August 1894 p.8 col.5: SHOCKING OUTRAGE NEAR STAFFORD. On Wednesday morning an outrage of the most brutal character occurred in the neighbourhood of Sleighford, when a lad almost fourteen years of age attacked a little girl of eleven in such a violent manner as to render her condition extremely dangerous. It seems that a little girl, 11 years of age, named Florence Hart, was sent on an errand from Great Bridgeford, where she lives, to Seighford, the adjoining village. On returning she, so far as can be ascertained, either was met or overtaken by a youth, who, it is alleged, attacked her in a savage manner, and seriously wounded her. The girl either fell or was thrown into a neighbouring ditch, and it was there she was found some three-quarters of an hour later by the Misses Bennion of Creswell, who happened to pass that way. The girl was discovered in a semi-conscious condition, and a conveyance was procured from Mr Finnemore, a farmer. and the girl was at once taken to the the Stafford Infirmary. She was unconscious when received into the institution, and on an examination being made by Mr. Manson the house surgeon, it was found that her head was very seriously cut and bruised there being no less than 12 wounds on the forehead, while the child's scalp was seriously lacerated and torn. | |
| During the day the police arrested a youth named Thomas Owen, a rough-looking lad, apparently about fifteen years of age, described as a labourer, and he was brought before Mr J F Wileman, at the Justices' Clerk's Office on Thursday morning, and charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm. | |
| Miss Bennion. who was the first witness called, stated that at ten o'clock on Wednesday morning, she was driving to Seighford schools, when she found the little girl lying on one side of the road in the hedge. She was partly conscious, and appeared to have a lot of wounds on her head and forehead. Her face and head were covered with blood. Witness drove on to Mr Finnemore's farm at Seighford, and sent assistance back to her. - In answer to the magistrate, witness said the child was not able to talk; she only muttered something. Upon first seeing her, witness did not stop to examine her, but drove for assistance.. - In reply to the police officer, witness said that the child did not tell her who inflicted the wounds upon her, but she mentioned the name of Thomas Owen. | |
| PC Trueman said that on Wednesday, in company with PC Peake, he arrested the prisoner and brought him to Stafford. He charged him with inflicting grievous bodily harm upon Florence Hart at Seighford on the same day. Prisoner replied "I never saw her." Witness put him in the cell, and shortly afterwards prisoner said he wished to tell the truth about the matter. Continuing he said that he met the girl Florence Hart near the "public." He followed her along the lane, and after speaking to her, he became intimate with her. The girl afterwards said she would tell her mother of what had happened, and prisoner admitted that he then hit her on the head twice with a stick, which he afterwards threw away among some thorns close by. The witness continued that the girl was eleven years old last birthday. She was at the present time in the infirmary, and was unable to appear. It was anticipated that she would be unable to appear until Saturday week. | |
| Prisoner was then remanded until today (Saturday), when a further remand for a week will probably be applied for. | |
| [Because of the severity of the injuries to the girl, the case was adjourned two or three times. The case was judged to be serious enough to be sent to the Quarter Sessions, which took place on Tuesday 16 October 1894, when final judgment and sentence was passed] | |
| 14 November 1894 The Medical Officer reported: Eczema | |
| 3 June 1896 The Medical Officer reported: Synovitis | |
| 10 June 1897 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Owen was licensed to go out and work for Mrs Clarke, Bentley Farm, Hurley, Atherstone | |
| 24 October 1897 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
| 14 June 1898 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Owen, Atherstone | |
| 9 August 1898 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Owen, Atherstone | |
| 8 August 1899 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Owen, Stafford | |
| 14 October 1902 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Owen, Stafford | |