Saltley Reformatory

No. in Admissions Register:	110
Date of admission:	10 July 1857
Whence received:	Birmingham Borough Gaol
By whom brought:	The deputy governor of Birmingham Gaol
On what terms:	Committed
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Sallow
Hair colour:	Brown
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?	Smallpox
Particular marks:	Scar on the top of right arm
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	No
Age last birthday:	15
Illegitimate?	No
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Moor Street, Birmingham
Parish to which he belongs:	Not known
Customary work and mode of life:	Has been a filer
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	A little
Writes:	A little
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Stealing scrap steel
Circumstances which may have led to it	Not known
Date of sentence:	27 June 1857
Where convicted:	Moor Street, Birmingham, before W Sands Cox and F J Welch
Sentence:	14 days in prison, 2 years at Saltley
Where imprisoned:	-
Previous committals and convictions:	9 times imprisoned at Birmingham, Worcester, and Parkhurst, but there is no further information
Father's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	Both dead
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	-
Character of parents:	-
Parents' wages:	-
Weekly amount parents will pay:	-
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	D Meaden, Governor, Borough Gaol, Birmingham
Estimate of character on admission:	Most unpromising and dirty; said to be aged 15 but looks like 19
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	-

Notes:

27 June 1857 There is a short report of his crime in the Birmingham Journal Saturday 27 June 1857 p.6 col.6: CANDIDATES FOR REFORMATION. - George Bolt, Hospital Street, and Thomas Greaves, having no stated residence, both miserable-looking boys, about the age of fifteen, were charged with stealing a quantity of scrap steel, value 2s 6d, the property of Joseph Yardley, Eldon Street, coal dealer. Bolt was seen to take the steel, and was apprehended with it in his possession. He was remanded for a week, with a view to his admission into a reformatory school. Greaves, against whom there was no legal evidence, was liberated.

9 July 1858 locked up for refractory conduct. He had on several occasions before been impertinent to both school master and gardener. Constantly grumbling.

24 July 1858 locked up again for instigating the boys to run away, pretending that he would go with them. Every part of his conduct shows him to be hopelessly vicious.

25 December 1858 having behaved better for some time I allowed him to spend a few days at his uncle's.

9 May 1859 emigrated to Canada with Beard [boy 105], Tranford [102], etc. I have no fear of his doing well under an undoubted master - plenty to do, plenty to eat. He never was a proper case for a reformatory when boys of 10 or 11 years of age are received

[No date] Mr Bracebridge reported that he had been suspected of stealing money and that he had absconded.[unstated whether this was at the school or in Canada]

[No date] Received a letter from him from Montreal. He did not say what he is doing.

2 December 1860 received a letter from him, on the point of sailing to India as an able seaman from Liverpool. Says Dempsey [boy 87] drowned himself on a voyage to Havre from New York. Tranford [boy 102] a butcher at Toronto earning 25 dollars a month, board and lodging

6 December 1860 saw Bolt at Liverpool. Declared that it is entirely untrue that he stole anything. He had been twice there since he was said to have run away.

18 December 1860 The Reformatory Minute Book states: 735. Letters were read from George Bolt [boy 110], now a sailor in a vessel trading between New York and Havre, containing information respecting his own career and that of Benjamin Tranford [boy 102], now a successful butcher in Toronto, and Cotterill [boy 108], now a cook on board a large steamer in America, and Walker [boy 47] and Carlton [boy 91], who are doing well and employed by a farmer at New Orleans, and Beard [boy 105], who is now in prison in Kingston for stealing, and Dempsey [boy 86], who drowned himself through ill-usage on board a ship from New York to Havre.

26 November 1861 had a letter from him with Washington postmark, stating that he is engaged in the Federal army.

20 August 1863 had another letter. He was just discharged from the Federal army. Says he has "been in 16 battles and never had a scratch."

Alfred Johnson - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	248
Date of admission:	14 February 1863
Whence received:	Birmingham
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Sandy
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?	Cowpox
Particular marks:	Scar on breast
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	No
Age last birthday:	11
Illegitimate?	No
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	78 Edward Street, Parade, Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	Birmingham
Customary work and mode of life:	Printer
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Stealing 8 newspapers
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Not known
Date of sentence:	2 February 1863
Where convicted:	Moor Street, before T C S Kynnersley
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	14 days prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	None – several times charged but not convicted
Father's name:	William Buxton (stepfather)
Occupation:	Jobbing butcher
Residence:	78 Edward Street, Parade, Birmingham
Mother's name:	Emma Buxton
Occupation:	Tripe seller
Residence:	78 Edward Street, Parade, Birmingham [underneath is written 6 Howard Street, St George's, Birmingham – a previous address?]
Father's character:	“appears a decent man”
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	Yes
Parents' treatment of child:	“No reason to suppose they ill-treated him”
Character of parents	-
Parents' wages:	Not known
Amount parents agree to pay:	An order to be made for a small sum
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	T C S Kynnersley
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	12 Feb 1868 - Discharged on expiration of sentence, later joined the Royal Navy

Notes:

12 February 1868 Discharged while on licence

17 December 1867 Employed by Mr Hedge, butcher, Dudley Street, Wolverhampton

November 1868 On board training ship at Plymouth

October 1870 At sea

William Smith [452] - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	452
Age:	13
Whence received:	Stafford
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Hazel
Visage:	-
Particular marks:	-
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission and term:	5 August 1871
Late residence:	Leek
Parish he belongs to:	Leek
Customary work and mode of life:	Silk factory
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing a padlock
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Neglected by parents
Date of sentence, by who and court:	5 July 1871, Leek Petty Sessions, Joshua and John Brough
Where imprisoned:	Stafford
Sentence:	1 month prison (hard labour), 3 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	One
Length:	1 day and whipped
For what:	Stealing clothing
Father’s name:	William Smith
Occupation:	Railway goods porter
Mother's name:	Mary Smith
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents’ treatment of child:	Neglected by them
Character of parents	Nothing known against the father’s character, but the mother has left her husband and has lived with another man for four years
Parents’ wages:	12s or 13s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	1s 6d
Parents address:	Alsop Street, Leek
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	J Challinor, Justices’ Clerk, Leek
When and how left reformatory:	5 Aug 1874 - discharged into care of his father on expiration of term

Notes:

5 August 1874 Discharged and sent to his father at Leek

4 June 1876 In a letter to the school from Charles Tipper (boy 469], it says: …I have seen W Smith and H Tomkinson too. Smith is working at a brickyard. He is not living with his father or his mother either. He says him and his father could not agree, and his mother is not in the town…

Joseph Moore - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	832
Age:	12
Whence received:	H M Prison Stafford
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Grey
Height:	4 ft 1½ ins
Particular marks:	2 short cuts over left eyebrow
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Slender
Date of admission:	13 January 1887
Late residence:	17 Dove Street, West Bromwich
Parish he belongs to:	West Bromwich
Customary work and mode of life:	No occupation
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly, Standard III
Writes:	Imperfectly, Standard III
Offence:	Stealing a spring balance
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Bad company
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	13 December 1886; H C A Neville; West Bromwich Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Stafford
Sentence:	1 month hard labour in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	2
Length:	1) Birched 22 November 1884; 2) birched 20 November 1886
For what:	1) Larceny; 2) larceny
Father's name:	Joseph Moore
Occupation:	Miner
Mother's name:	Selina Moore
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Well treated
Character of parents	Honest, sober, and healthy
Parents' wages:	The father is a collier with short work. It is impossible to ascertain the amount of wages accurately. The average would probably be about 14s to 16s per week according to present information. There are three children dependent upon the father's income, in addition to the above lad
Amount parents agree to pay:	Father declines to make an offer. Should be called upon to pay 1s per week
Parents address:	17 Dove Street, West Bromwich
Superintendent of police (to collect payments)	T Whitehurst, Superintendent of Police, West Bromwich
Person making this return:	T Whitehurst, Superintendent of Police, West Bromwich

Notes:

5 October 1889 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Moore was licensed to go out and work for Messers Lawley, West Bromwich

1 July 1890 The Register records that Moore was licensed to go out and work for Mr Senby, West Bromwich

21 October 1890 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records that: one of the boys on licence (Joseph Moore) is dangerously ill at West Bromwich with inflammation of the lungs. Every attention is being paid to him, and he is under the care of Dr Rees, one of the leading medical men in that town, and has been visited by myself [Harry F Fish, Superintendent of the Reformatory] or Mr Arnold [School official] every day. When last seen, last evening, he was still very ill.

Died. Formally discharged from Saltley. The Log Book reports: Joseph Moore, one of the boys on licence at the time of your last meeting, and who was then reported as dangerously ill, dies at his home on the 1st of November. Everything possible was done for him, but without avail.

Arthur Sandoz - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1088
Age:	15
Whence received:	H M Prison Birmingham
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Brown
Height:	4 ft 11¼ ins
Particular marks:	Scar outer angle right eye
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	20 February 1895
Late residence:	2 back 31 Hall Street, Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	Silversmith. The police say there are a number of known robberies against this boy
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all
Writes:	Not at all
Offence:	Stealing silver
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	7 February 1895; T M Colmore; Birmingham Police Court
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Birmingham
Sentence:	14 days in prison, 3 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	Nil (but was charged with stealing letters and discharged)
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	William Sandoz
Occupation:	Silversmith
Mother's name:	Elizabeth Sandoz
Occupation:	Housewife
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Good
Parents' wages:	Not stated
Amount parents agree to pay:	Not assessed
Parents address:	2 back 31 Hall Street, Birmingham
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	W Winfield, H M Prison Birmingham

Notes:

13 January 1894 A previous offence was reported in the Birmingham Daily Post Saturday 13 January 1894 p.7 col.3: ROBBING A LETTER-BOX.- Arthur Sandoz (14), 4 Court, Hall Street, was charged with stealing a cheque value £4. 13s. 7d., the property of W. F. Needham, Branston Street, bamboo-goods maker. - On the 7th inst. a boy called at prosecutor's office and presented a cheque and purse saying another boy had found them in Caroline Street. Prosecutor saw that the cheque was made payable to himself, and, knowing that it was extremely improbable that it would be picked up as described, requested the boy to accompany him to Kenion Street lock-up. At the station Detective-sergeant Daniels questioned the boy and obtained from him the fact that prisoner gave him the cheque saying they would "whack' (share) the reward they would probably get from prosecutor. Prisoner was arrested, and denied all knowledge of the stolen cheque until he was on his way to the cells. His stubbornness then failed him. and he confessed to having taken the cheque from the letter-box. Further enquiry showed that a large number of business letters had also been abstracted and destroyed. - Prisoner's mother and his employer gave him a good character, and the latter, in reply to the Bench, said that he was willing to keep the lad in his service if the magistrates discharged him. - After severely cautioning the prisoner, and pointing out the serious nature of the offence he had committed, the magistrates adjourned the case for two months.

8 February 1895 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Birmingham Daily Post Saturday 8 February 1895 p.3 col.7: ROBBING HIS MASTERS. - Arthur Sandey [surname given thus] (15), 4 Court, 22, Hall Street, was charged with having stolen 16s. worth of silver from his employers Henry Jenkins and Son, 40, Vittoria Street, silversmiths. - Prisoner was a filer, having been in prosecutors' employ since the beginning of the new year. The lad was put to file silver, and he stole four ounces of it and sold it. - Several times before he had been charged before the Court and had been discharged on account of his youth. The Stipendiary now sent him to gaol for fourteen days, to be followed by three years in a reformatory. The lad, he said, was evidently going the wrong way, and must be stopped.

31 October 1895 The Medical Officer reported: Cut on forehead

7 January 1898 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Sandoz was licensed to go out and work for Mr Warburton, 103 Branston Street, Birmingham

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