Levison Swetenham - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 485 |
| Age: | 10 |
| Whence received: | Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | - |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission and term: | 28 April 1873 5 years |
| Late residence: | Longton |
| Parish he belongs to: | Longton |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Potting |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing money |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Neglect of mother |
| Date of sentence, by who and court: | 26 March 1873, Longton Police Court, J Balgay |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month prison (hard labour), 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | One |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | Dead |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Ann Swetenham |
| Occupation: | Dressmaker |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | Not |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Mother cohabits with one John Turner, a convicted thief |
| Parents' wages: | Not known |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | 1s per week |
| Parents address: | Queen Street, Longton |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | L Kelly, Longton |
| Person making this return: | - |
Notes:
| 29 March 1873 There is a report of the crime in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 29 March 1873 p.7 col.2: AN ADROIT YOUNG THIEF. - Levison Swettenham [surname spelled thus], aged 10, was charged with stealing 10s 7d from the shop of William Fenton, at Longton. The prosecutor is a grocer in Caroline- street. Between four and five o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, hearing a noise in the shop he went In and found the prisoner crouching under the window, and near the counter. The till was open, and the prisoner had 10s. 7d. in his hand, which he admitted having taken from the drawer The prisoner was without his shoes, and on being taken into custody by Police Sergt. Macrorie he said that he had hidden his shoes near the show ground, and gave as a reason that he wanted go Into a shop and rob. He now pleaded guilty and being an incorrigibly bad lad was committed to gaol for one month, preparatory to being sent to an Industrial School for five years. |
Arthur Edward Newman - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 840 |
| Age: | 15 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | - |
| Hair colour: | - |
| Eyes colour: | - |
| Height: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | - |
| Able-bodied? | - |
| Date of admission: | 16 March 1887 |
| Late residence: | 14 Friars Terrace, Stafford |
| Parish he belongs to: | Castle Church, Stafford |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Office |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing money, etc |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 17 February 1887; W H Peake and W Silvester; Stafford Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | - |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Ann Newman |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Father |
| Survivor married again? | No |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Well treated |
| Character of parents | Mother good character but delicate health |
| Parents' wages: | Mother is a widow in delicate health. Her only income is from 2 lodgers |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | She is not in a position to pay anything towards support of her child |
| Parents address: | 14 Friars Terrace, Stafford |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Benjamin Thomas Oswell, Deputy Chief Constable, Stafford |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| The crime was reported in the Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 19 February 1887 p.4 cols.4-5: THEFT AT THE ASSIZE COURTS. - Arthur Edward Newman (14), office boy, of 14, Friars Terrace, was charged with stealing a gold scarf pin, value £2, the property of Mr Francis William Jones, of Eldon Chambers, Gloucester, on the previous day; and further stealing £1 1s in money, the property of George Green. - Prosecutor Jones, solicitor, and assistant to the Clerk of Assize of the Oxford Circuit, stated that about three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon he left the gold scarf-pin produced, enclosed in a wig box in the private room of the Clerk of Assize upstairs, behind the Bench of the Crown Court in the Shire Hall. This room adjoined the barristers' robing room. He went into Court, and returned about four o'clock to the room where he left the pin. He then missed the pin. The wig box had been closed and fastened, but not locked. After making inquiries he gave information to the police. The public had no right in the Court at all. The corridor onto which the room opened was reached from below by two flights of stairs. - Prosecutor Green, Clerk of the Indictments on the Oxford Circuit, of 32, Brook Green, Middlesex, stated that at about three o'clock on the afternoon of Wednesday, he placed in the drawer of the counter in the indictment office £2 in gold and 4s. 6d. in silver. About four o'clock having left the office for a few minutes in the interval, he reopened the drawer, and found that a sovereign and a shilling were missing. P. S. McCabe deposed to arresting prisoner that (Thursday) morning, at his mother's house, from a description which he had received. Witness told him he had been seen in the Shire Hall on the previous day. Prisoner denied knowing anything about the robberies, but in the office at the Guild Hall prisoner had had a conversation with his cousin, a lad named Dale, after which he said "I'll fetch it; I'll show you where it is." He took witness with him to his mother's house, and produced the pin from a little box on the dressing table upstairs. He said that he had not interfered with the money; and that he was very sorry and hoped to be forgiven. - John Dale, silversmith's apprentice, of 5, Barford Street, Birmingham, said that in the course of conversation that morning, prisoner said "If you want to find the money you'll find it under the mat in the hall at my mother's house." Witness went with Inspector Stretton, and found one sovereign and a shilling, some small change, and stamps in a purse, placed as described by prisoner. - Prisoner pleaded guilty. - Both prosecutors asked the Bench to deal with the prisoner summarily, both for the sake of the lad and his family, and for their own convenience. - Prisoner elected to be dealt with summarily, and the Bench decided to adopt that course. - Mr Jones then asked that the lad might be dealt with as leniently as possible. - The Mayor said that the prisoner had been twice convicted within the last 14 days before the present offence was committed. It seemed a hopeless case, and the prisoner would be separated from the family he was doing so much to distress. He would be sentenced to one month's hard labour, and afterwards would have to go to a reformatory for five years. | |
| 10 December 1889 The Medical Officer reported: ….itis [cannot decipher word]. Sick room. Convalescent by 24 December | |
| 10 June 1890 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records that Newman was discharged early from Saltley by order of the Home Secretary, on account of his emigrating, along with Williams [boy 845] and Perkins [boy 864] | |
| 11 December 1894 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Newman, Birmingham | |
| 12 February 1895 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Newman, Birmingham | |
| 9 February 1897 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Newman, Birmingham. (A very satisfactory case, just leaving his present employers after 4 years' service) | |
Gilbert Williams - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1096 |
| Age: | 14 (born 9 October 1880) |
| Whence received: | Staffordshire Quarter Sessions |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Ruddy (freckled) |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 5 ft 7 ins |
| Particular marks: | Cut 3rd joint 2nd finger left hand |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 24 July 1895 |
| Late residence: | 7 Middle Gardens, Willenhall |
| Parish he belongs to: | Willenhall |
| Customary work and mode of life: | - |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Warehouse breaking and stealing |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad associates |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 2 July 1895; Baron Hatherton; Staffordshire Quarter Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | Not |
| Sentence: | 4 years at Saltley or until the age of 18 years, dating from 2 July 1895 |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | Fined 6d and costs |
| For what: | Damage to window |
| Father's name: | Charles Williams |
| Occupation: | Whitesmith |
| Mother's name: | Mercy Williams |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Good |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 7 Middle Gardens, Willenhall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | M F Blakiston |
| Notes: | |
| 6 July 1895 The crime that sent him to Saltley was very briefly reported in the Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 6 July 1895 p.7 col.3: Gilbert Williams (14) and Joseph Biggs (12), breaking into a warehouse on June 9 and 10 and committing a theft, remanded to the workhouse and then sent to a reformatory, Biggs for five years and Williams for four years | |
| 29 July 1898 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Williams was licensed to go out and work for J Burroughs, Wood Street, Willenhall | |
| 9 October 1898 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
| 11 April 1899 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from William, in the Army | |
| 8 August 1899 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, Ireland | |
| 12 December 1899 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, Gibraltar | |
| 10 April 1900 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, Aldershot | |
| 31 July 1900 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, South Africa [the Boer War was underway at this time] | |
| 9 April 1901 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, South Africa | |
| 15 July 1902 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, South Africa | |
| 14 October 1902 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, South Africa | |
| 14 April 1903 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, India | |
| 9 August 1904 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Williams, Chakrata, India | |
| No. in Admissions Register: | 179 |
| Date of admission: | 25 July 1860 |
| Whence received: | Stafford Gaol |
| By whom brought: | Chief warder |
| On what terms: | - |
| Friends interested in him: | - |
| Description: | |
| Height: | - |
| Figure: | - |
| Complexion: | Brown |
| Hair colour: | Dark 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: | None |
| Cutaneous disorder? | - |
| Scrofulous or consumptive? | No |
| Subject to fits? | No |
| Age last birthday: | 14 |
| Illegitimate? | No |
| Birthday: | - |
| Birth place: | Market Drayton |
| Has resided: | - |
| Parish to which he belongs: | West Bromwich |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Apprentice to a chimney sweeper |
| Schools attended: | - |
| By whom and where employed: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Nil |
| Writes: | Nil |
| Cyphers: | - |
| General ability: | - |
| Offence: | Larceny |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence: | 10 July 1860 |
| Where convicted: | Wednesbury |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford |
| Sentence: | 14 days prison, 5 years detention at Saltley |
| Previous committals and convictions: | Larceny (10 days in prison, whipping) |
| Father's name: | Peter Boswell |
| Occupation: | Rag and bone gatherer |
| Residence: | Colbys (?) Lane, West Bromwich |
| Mother's name: | Harriet Boswell |
| Occupation: | Rag and bone gatherer |
| Residence: | Colbys (?) Lane, West Bromwich |
| Father's character: | Nothing known against them by the police |
| Mother's character: | Nothing known against them by the police |
| Parents dead? | No |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Believed to have been good |
| Character of parents | - |
| Parents' wages: | 15s |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | 1s a week |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Major M Knight, Deputy Chief Constable, West Bromwich |
| Relatives to communicate with: | - |
| Person making this return: | J Collins Ward, clerk to the magistrayes, Wolverhampton |
| Estimate of character on admission: | - |
| Character on discharge: | - |
| When and how left the Reformatory: | - |
Notes:
| 31 March 1860 There is a short report on his previous conviction in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 31 March 1860, p.6, col.6: STEALING A FOWL . Two well known young thieves, named Thomas Boswell and John Thomas Martin, were charged with stealing a fowl, from the premises of Joseph Owen. They were seen on the Handsworth turnpike road by Shipton. the foreman of the road workers, and not being able give any satisfactory account of its possession, were given over to the officer. The fowl was produced alive, and identified by the owner. Inspector Holland called the attention of the magistrates to the fact that the two prisoners formed part of a bad lot of young thieves, twenty in number, who gave great trouble to the police, and much annoyance to the inhabitants of the town, from their constant petty thefts. They were sent Stafford for ten days, and to be once privately whipped. |
| 12 July There is a short report of the crime that sent him to Saltley in the Birmingham Post Thursday 12 July 1860, p.3, col.2: JUVENILE DEPRAVITY.- At the Police Court, Wednesbury Petty Sessions on Tuesday yesterday before Mr Leigh and Mr Jesson, Thomas Boswell, a lad only thirteen years of age, was charged with having stolen a pair of shoes and some food, the property of Benjamin Trussell. The evidence clearly substantiated the prisoner's guilt, and he admitted having been previously convicted. Sentence, fourteen days' imprisonment, and afterwards to sent to the Saltley Reformatory for five years. |
| 4 January 1861 Clay bank fell on him and serious injured him |
| 8 January 1861 The Reformatory Minute Book stats: 752. The Superintendent reported that since the last meeting the boy Jones who was then ill has died and that another boy, Thomas Boswell, has met with a serious accident but is recovering. |
| The Committee had an interview with Mr Tarleton, Honorary Surgeon, who explained the circumstances relating to the above two cases and stated that he anticipated that Boswell will recover. |
| 30 January 1865 Licensed to work at an iron works at West Bromwich |
| January 1866 In prison |
| January 1868 In Royal Marines |
John Jones [212] - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 212 |
| Date of admission: | 16 March 1861 |
| Whence received: | Birmingham Gaol |
| By whom brought: | - |
| On what terms: | - |
| Friends interested in him: | - |
| Description: | |
| Height: | - |
| Figure: | - |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| 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? | Yes |
| Particular marks: | Large mole on neck |
| Cutaneous disorder? | No |
| Scrofulous or consumptive? | No |
| Subject to fits? | No |
| Age last birthday: | 13 |
| Illegitimate? | No |
| Birthday: | - |
| Birth place: | - |
| Has resided: | King Street, Hockley, Birmingham |
| Parish he belongs to: | Birmingham |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Jeweller |
| Schools attended: | - |
| By whom and where employed: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| General ability: | None |
| Cyphers: | - |
| General ability: | - |
| Offence: | Stealing 22 pigeons |
| Circumstances which may | Bad company |
| Date of sentence: | 25 February 1861 |
| Where convicted: | Moor Street Police Court, Birmingham |
| Who prosecuted: | T C S Kynnersley, Stipendiary Magistrate |
| Where imprisoned: | - |
| Sentence: | 21 days prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals and convictions: | One: stealing 2s 6d |
| Father's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Residence: | - |
| Mother's name: | Ann Jones |
| Occupation: | - |
| Residence: | - |
| Father's character: | - |
| Mother's character: | - |
| Parents dead? | Father |
| Survivor married again? | No |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | - |
| Parents' wages: | Just gets her living |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Don't think she is able to pay anything |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | G Glossop |
| 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: | When and how left the Reformatory: |
Notes:
| 26 February 1861 There is a report of the crime in the Birmingham Daily Post Tuesday 26 February 1861 p.3 col.4: A GANG OF YOUNG THIEVES. - Four lads, their ages averaging from eleven to fourteen, named Samuel Taylor, James Phillips boy 216], Charles Ingestre, and John Jones, were charged with stealing twenty-two pigeons, value £3, the property of Henry Longley, gun polisher, Hampton Row. It appears that, on Saturday night, the pigeons were locked up safe in a pen on the prosecutor's premises; but on the following morning the pen was found to have been broken open and twenty-two pigeons stolen,. About half-past nine o'clock on Sunday morning a man named Wilton met Taylor, Phillips, and Jones with eighteen of the stolen birds in their possession. He suspected that they were stolen, and questioned the prisoners about them. Taylor replied that they belonged to his father, but Wilton, doubting his statement, gave the prisoners into custody. They then directed the officer to Ingestre's house, where they found the remaining four. The prisoners, who have all been In trouble before, pleaded guilty, Taylor and Jones being sentenced to twenty one days' imprisonment, and after the expiration of that term to be sent to a Reformatory School for five years, Phillips to two days' imprisonment and to be well whipped,- and Ingestre to one day' s imprisonment, |
| 7 May 1864 Licensed to work for Mr Benjamin Basket?, fender maker, under Mr Wilson, Constitution Hill, Birmingham |
| March 1866 Birmingham, [character] doubtful |
| June 1867 Birmingham, doubtful |
| January 1868 In Royal Marines |