William Spencer - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 620 |
| Age: | 13 |
| Whence received: | Birmingham Gaol |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | Scar on forehead |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 21 September 1878 |
| Late residence: | 3 Tyre Street, Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham |
| Parish he belongs to: | Birmingham |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Brassfounder |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 4d |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 23 August 1878; Charles Ratcliff and J Cheshire; Birmingham |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison, Birmingham |
| Sentence: | 1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | One 10 May 1878 |
| Length: | 14 days |
| For what: | Atempted felony |
| Father's name: | Joseph Spencer |
| Occupation: | Brass founder |
| Mother's name: | Clara Spencer |
| Occupation: | None |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | - |
| Parents' wages: | Father is a shopkeeper |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 3 Tyre Street, Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
Notes:
| [Tyre Street may have been a little later renamed Lower Hurst Street, later becoming just part of Hurst Street] |
| 1 September 1882 Licensed to Mr Morgan, corn dealer, Alcester Street, Birmingham (Discharge and Disposal Book) |
David Edwardes - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 838 |
| Age: | 14 ['today', 28 February?] |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Pale |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Beown |
| Height: | 4 ft 6¾ ins |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Slender |
| Date of admission: | 28 February 1887 |
| Late residence: | 4 court Merridale Street, Wolverhampton |
| Parish he belongs to: | Wolverhampton |
| Customary work and mode of life: | None |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 2 white metal chronographs |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company and utter neglect of parents |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 29 January 1887; C A Neville and C Neil; Wolverhampton Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month hard labour in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | None |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | David Edwardes |
| Occupation: | File cutter |
| Mother's name: | Mary Edwardes |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Mother |
| Survivor married again? | No |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Utterly neglected. When apprehended the boy was in a most disgusting state, covered in vermin |
| Character of parents | Father a notorious poacher and was in prison at time of offence |
| Parents' wages: | Uncertain |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 4 court Merridale Street, Wolverhampton |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Chief Constable, Wolverhampton |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 4 February 1887 There was a brief report of the crime in the Lichfield Mercury Friday 4 February 1887 p.8 col.7: WOLVERHAMPTON. - THEFT OF WATCHES. - At the Police Court on Saturday, David Edwards (14) [surname spelled thus], living with his parents in Merridale Road, pleaded guilty to stealing two watches valued at 25s., the property of Thomas Phillips, Stafford Street. - He was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, after which term he was ordered to be sent to a reformatory for five years. | |
| 16 November 1889 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Edwardes was licensed to go out and work for Mr Blakeney, Raglan Road, Wolverhampton | |
| 9 June 1891 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report in a list of boys out on licence gives Edwardes address as Lichfield Barracks | |
| 27 February 1892 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley whilst on licence | |
Augustus Portlock - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1094 |
| Age: | 13 (born 14 November 1880) |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Light |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 9 ins |
| Particular marks: | Mole on back left shoulder |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 13 July 1895 |
| Late residence: | 38 Station Street, Walsall |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Bill posting for Sheffield |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing clothing |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 1 July 1895; W A Brookes; Walsall Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 14 days hard labour in prison, 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 (April 1895) |
| Length: | 12 strokes |
| For what: | Stealing money |
| Father's name: | James Portlock |
| Occupation: | Bill posting |
| Mother's name: | Annie Portlock |
| Occupation: | |
| 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 stated |
| Parents address: | 38 Station Street, Walsall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | Governor, H M Prison Stafford |
| Notes: | |
| 20 April 1895 A previous offence was reported in the Walsall Advertiser Saturday 20 April 1895 p.8 col.6: TWELVE STROKES WITH THE BIRCH. The influence of bad company was evidently the cause of the downfall of Augustus Portlock (12). Station Street. Until a week ago he had lived with his grandfather in Birmingham, and while there had made the acquaintance of various other boys of about his own age, who must have demoralised his mind to such an extent that he stole £2 13s. 6d. from his parents' home in Station Street, Walsall, soon after he returned to live with them. His mother said she did not wish to press the charge as he had never, to her knowledge, stolen anything from anybody except his parents. - Detective Harper, who arrested prisoner in Birmingham, said he had recovered £2 7s. 6d. of the money, and had also found on the lad some tobacco, cigarettes and a cigarette maker. - The Bench decided to order the prisoner to receive twelve strokes with the birch rod. | |
| 6 July 1895 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Walsall Advertiser Saturday 6 July 1895 p.2 col.6: A BAD LAD SENT AWAY. Augustus Portlock (13) living with his parents at 38, Station Street, was charged with having stolen two pairs of trousers, a boy's suit, two coats and a pair of knickerbockers, value £1 12s., the property of his father. - On the 20th ult., Mrs. Portlock left the house. During .her absence prisoner returned to tea and obtained access to a locked-up spare room by cutting a panel from the door. He carried away the clothes named, and took them to a pawnshop. The attendant, however, sent him for his mother, but he did not return, and it was subsequently found that he had pledged them at another shop. - Prisoner, who had been convicted in April last of having stolen £2 12s. 6d. from his father, now pleaded guilty, and said he wished to join the navy. His mother, however, said that she had sent him to join a ship at Liverpool once, but he had spent his money and then returned. She asked that he might be sent to a reformatory. - He was accordingly sent to prison for 14 days, and ordered afterwards to be detained in a reformatory for four years. | |
| 22 March 1898 The Medical Officer reported: Whitlow and influenza, better by 30 March | |
| 29 April 1899 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Portlock was licensed to go out and work for Mrs Clarke, Bentley Farm, Hurley | |
| 12 July 1899 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
| No. in Admissions Register: | 565 |
| Age: | 13 |
| Whence received: | Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Brown |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission and term: | 11 November 1876 2 years |
| Late residence: | Tunstall |
| Parish he belongs to: | Tunstall |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Brickmaking |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing cheese |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by who and court: | 9 October 1876, Hanley Petty Sessions, E J Ridgway and T Ashworth |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month prison (hard labour), 2 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | One |
| Length: | 1 month |
| For what: | Stealing cigars |
| Father's name: | George Booth |
| Occupation: | Potter |
| Mother's name: | Helen Booth |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Honest, sober, health good |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | - |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
Notes:
| 14 October 1876 There is a report of the crime in the Staffordshire Sentinel and .Commercial and General Advertiser Saturday 14 October 1876 p,6 col.1: STEALING CHEESE.- William Booth, aged fourteen, was charged with stealing 1 lb. of cheese from the shop of Messrs. Adams and Lamb, High-street, Tunstall. The lad went into the shop on Friday night, and was observed putting a lump of cheese in his pocket. An officer was sent for, and the boy given into custody.-The father of the lad said he had had sixteen children and the prisoner was the only one with whom he had had any trouble. He was unable to work, and his wife had lost the use of some of her limbs.- Mr. Superintendent Baker said he was sorry to say the lad was a regular thief- The lad had been convicted for theft. He was sentenced to prison for two months, at the end of that period to be sent to a reformatory for a further term of two years. |
Thomas Jones - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 536 |
| Age: | 15 |
| Whence received: | Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | - |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Brown |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission and term: | 30 June 1875 (delayed until 2 July) 3 years |
| Late residence: | Newcastle, Staffordshire |
| Parish he belongs to: | Stoke on Trent |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Farm work |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Offence: | Stealing beer |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by who and court: | 30 May 1875, Hanley Police Court, H C Greenwood |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month prison (hard labour), 3 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | One |
| Length: | 1 month |
| For what: | Stealing a watch |
| Father's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Mary Jones |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Father |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Good |
| Parents' wages: | Mother in workhouse |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | Stoke workhouse |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
Notes:
none