Saltley Reformatory

Richard Leadbeater - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	424
Age:	12
Whence received:	Stafford County Prison
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Grey
Visage:	-
Particular marks:	-
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission and term:	25 February 1870 - -
Late residence:	Bilston
Parish he belongs to:	Bilston
Customary work and mode of life:	None
Whether illegitimate:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing a pork pie
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence, by who and court:	25 January 1870, Bilston Petty Sessions, H D Beck and W Hatton Esqs
Where imprisoned:	Stafford
Sentence:	1 month prison (hard labour), 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	1
Length:	1 day and flogging
For what:	Stealing 8s 6d from a till
Father's name:	Thomas Leadbeater
Occupation:	Millwright and pattern maker
Mother's name:	Martha Leadbeater
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Honest, sober, and good health
Parents' wages:	24s per week when in work
Amount parents agree to pay:	Has 6 other children and cannot pay more than 1s per week
Parents address:	Dudley Street, Bilston
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Hugh McCrea
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

26 January 1870 There is a report of the crime in the Birmingham Daily Gazette Wednesday 26 January 1870 p.4 col.2: INORRIGIBLE. -Richard Leadbetter, a lad aged twelve, was charged with stealing a pork pie, the property of Wm. Deakin. Defendant went into complainant's shop, and asked the price of some cakes, and while the person who was in the shop went to ask, defendant took the pork pie. Complainant took the name and address of defendant's father, and went there and learnt that defendant was a very bad character. He had been convicted previously for stealing 8s. 6d. from a till at Brownhills, and he used to pawn his and brother's and sister's clothes. Defendant was sent to prison for one month, and at the expiration of that sentence to go to a reformatory for five years.

8 March 1875 Working at South Bank, Middlesbrough

Robert Thomson - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	289
Date of admission:	21 November 1864
Whence received:	Stafford
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?	Cowpox
Particular marks:	Cut on temple
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	Says he is
Age last birthday:	14
Illegitimate?	-
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Wolverhampton
Parish he belongs to:	Wolverhampton
Customary work and mode of life:	Brass founder
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Well
Writes:	Well
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Larceny
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence:	20 October 1864
Where convicted:	Wolverhampton
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	1 month, 3 years at Saltley
Previous committals and Convictions:	One
Father's name:	Robert Thomson
Occupation:	Draper
Residence:	32 Temple Street, Wolverhampton
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Father's character:	Good
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	Mother
Survivor married again?	Yes, to Anna Maria Thomson
Parents' treatment of child:	Very good
Character of parents	Good, health good
Parents' wages:	20s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	1s 6d 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:	-

Notes:

12 October 1864 There is a lengthy report of the crime in the Wolverhampton Chronicle and Staffordshire Advertiser Wednesday 12 October 1865 p.6 cols.3-4: A GANG OF JUVENILE THIEVES.- Five lads, named Robert Thompson [boy 289], 13, Frederick Wills [boy 287] , 14, Samuel Waters [boy 288], 13, Henry Cuppage [boy 286], 16, and Edward Cuppage, 12, were all charged with being concerned in various robberies from shopkeepers. The first case taken was for stealing a waistcoat, the property of a Jew clothier. Simon Aaron, residing in Berry-street. Prosecutor stated that on Monday morning last the prisoner Thompson and Wills came into his shop, and said they wanted to buy a waistcoat. Witness reached them one or two down to look at, but they said they were too high priced, as they wanted one for a shilling. They then left the shop, and seeing that they immediately joined two other lads (the prisoners Wafers and Henry Cuppage), who seemed to have been waiting for them outside, witness had his suspicions excited, and went into the shop and looked over his stock. He then missed the waistcoat produced, worth 3s. 6d., which had been lying on the counter just before the two lads came in. He at once ran up the street to try to find the prisoners, but they had disappeared. It appears that the waistcoat was pledged the same morning it was stolen by the prisoner Thompson the pawnshop of Mr. Griffiths, in Peel-street. He pledged it in the name of " George Jones."- In the second case, Miss Mary Green, assistant to the Misses Bate, milliners and hosiers, North-street, stated that about half-past ten o'clock on Saturday night last the prisoners Thompson and Walters came the shop, and asked to look at some scarves. She showed one or two to them, but after looking at them, Thompson said he had not sufficient money at the time to purchase the scarf he wanted, and they would go home and ask their mothers, and then come again. On the Wednesday morning, the prisoner Thompson came to the shop by himself, and again asked to look at come scarves. She showed some to him, and he then said he wanted a blue one, similar in pattern to one which his brother had. Witness said she had no scarves like the one described, and they then left the shop without purchasing anything. Witness did not miss any of the scarves on either occasion, but she identified the three produced as the property of the Messrs. Bate. They were similar in pattern and colour to the scarves she reached out for Thompson, on the Saturday and Monday, but she would not swear that they were the same.- Police-constable Evans stated that he apprehended the three prisoners, Thompson, Wills, and Walters, and they were each wearing a new woollen scarf, but they said nothing about them. On the following day he apprehended Henry Cuppage on the same charge as he had apprehended the other three. Seeing that he also had a new scarf round his neck, witness asked him where he got it, and in reply, Cuppage said " Thompson, Wills, and Walters got lot of them on Saturday night, at a shop near the Market, and they gave one to me, and another to my brother Edward." In consequence of this, witness then apprehended Edward Cuppage, and also found in his possession a new scarf, similar in appearance and quality to the others, and making five in all. He then took the scarves to the Misses Bates', North Street and three of the articles were identified by the last witness as the property of her mlstresses. He had not been able to find an owner for the other two scarfs, nor could find that any other shopkeeper in the town sold those particular kind of scarves, but the Misses Bates.-The third charge against the prisoners was for stealing three waistcoats from a shop at Bilston. - Mary Ann Neale, wife of Lewis Neale, clothier, of Church- street, Bilston, stated that about ten o'clock on Tuesday morning last Thompson and Waters came to her shop, and Waters said "I want a waistcoat, about 2s." Witness told him that she did not think she could find one for less than 2s. 6d., and she reached one or two down. The prisoner Waters then tried on a waistcoat at 2s. 6d., and, after pulling it off again, he said he would see what his elder brother said about it. He then called in the other prisoner, Henry Cuppage, and the latter, after looking at the waistcoat, said he thought it would do, and he would go to his mother, who was on the Wolverhampton road, and get another 6d. of her. They ail three then left the shop, and she did not see them again. On the following Thursday witness missed two waistcoats, and she identified the two now produced as the same. One of them was the same waistcoat as was tried on by the prisoner Waters. They were both together worth about 7s.-Theophilus Wedge, pawnbroker, Monmore Green, stated that about twelve o'clock on Tuesday last, the prisoner Wills came to his shop and offered one of the two waistcoats produced in pledge. Having a suspicion that the lad had not honestly obtained the article, although he asserted that he had been sent with it by his mother, witness questioned him still further, and ultimately refused to take the waistcoat in. After the lad had left his shop witness watched him. and seeing that as soon as he got a little way up the street, he was joined by the other three prisoners, Thompson, Walters, and Henry Cuppage, witness became convinced that his suspicions were correct, and he therefore followed after them. Shortly afterwards he met with Police-constable Evans, and he at once communicated to the officer what had been taking place. In the meantime the lads themselves had begun to suspect that their movements were being watched, and on seeing witness stop and talk to the policeman they all ran away, but were immediately followed by the officer, and the witness Wedge, and Thompson, Wills, and Waters were apprehended. Cuppage escaped at the time, but waa apprehended as above stated on Thursday. The two waistcoats stolen from Bilston and the scarfs were found in the prisoners possession, and inquiries being set on foot by the police, they ultimately succeeded in ascertaining from where most of the property had been stolen. -The Bench did not consider there was sufficient evidence against Edward Cuppage to implicate him in the robberies, and was therefore discharged. The other four prisoners-who, throughout the inquiry appeared to regard their position with the utmost indifference - were committed to take their trial at the next Borough Quarter Sessions. Thompson was before the Bench only a few weeks ago, on the charge of stealing money from his then employers, but escaped a conviction owing to the want of evidence. When arrested on the present charges, he was wearing one of the pairs of leggings obtained by the prisoner in the former case, George Groom.

29 December 1864 Absconded with 290 [Nathanierl Newey], brought back next day

January 1867 On board the Ganges training ship

December 1868 On board the Ganges training ship

September 1870 Gone to sea

Charles Lines - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	870
Age:	12
Whence received:	H M Prison Stafford
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Brown
Height:	4 ft 6¾ ins
Particular marks:	-
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Slender
Date of admission:	17 December 1887
Late residence:	Brockmoor, Brierley Hill
Parish he belongs to:	Brierley Hill
Customary work and mode of life:	None
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing 1s
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Bad company
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	28 November 1887; H O Firmstone and H Hall; Brierley Hill Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Stafford
Sentence:	21 days hard labour in prison, 3 years 8 months at Saltley [until 16]
Previous committals:
Number:	2
Length:	1) 6 days; 2) 2 months
For what:	1) Stealing pocket handkerchiefs; 2) stealing money
Father's name:	Henry Lines
Occupation:	Carter
Mother's name:	Amelia Lines
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Mother
Survivor married again?	No
Parents' treatment of child:	Well treated
Character of parents	Father is an honest, sober, hard-working man. Mother, who died 3 years ago, was very drunken and bore a very loose character
Parents' wages:	About 12s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	1s per week
Parents address:	Brockmoor, Brierley Hill
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	John Woollaston, Superintendent of Police, Brierley hill
Person making this return:	H O Firmstone and Henry Hall, JPs, Staffordshhire

Notes:

18 June 1887 A previous offence was reported in the Stourbridge, Brierley Hill, and County Express Saturday 18 June 1887 p.6 col.2: IMPUDENT THEFT BY A SCHOOLBOY. - Charles Lines (13) and Samuel Scriven (12), both of Brockmoor, were charged with stealing 20s. in silver from the till of John Jackson, Brockmoor House. - The charge against Scriven was withdrawn. - On the 11th inst. Mrs. Jackson went into the street to see a procession, and when she returned to the bar she found that the till had been opened, and about 20s. in silver extracted. A florin was afterwards found on the floor. On the same day Lines went to the shop of Mr. Arthur Pearson, High Street, and purchased a watch for 5s. When arrested by Police-constable Lafford he handed to the officer a watch, a pair of trousers, a waistcoat, a pair of boots, a pair of stockings, and a hat (all new), which be admitted he had purchased with the stolen money. - The Bench considered the case a very bad one, and sent prisoner to gaol for two months.

3 December 1887 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Dudley Mercury, Stourbridge, Brierley Hill, and County Express Saturday 3 December 1887 p.6 col.4: THEFT. - Charles Lines (12), Brockmoor, was charged with stealing 1s., the property of Edward Nicholls, on the 19th inst. - The complainant said that on the day in question he employed the prisoner at his stall in the Market Place. He gave him a shilling to get changed, but prisoner did not return. - Police-sergeant Connolly said that he arrested the prisoner at Brockmoor on the 27th ult. When charged he said "I spent it." - Defendant had been several times previously convicted of theft. He was now committed to gaol for twenty-one days, and afterwards to a reformatory till he attained the age of sixteen.

6 February 1890 The Medical Officer reported: Influenza

16 August 1891 Discharged from Saltley, on account of emigrating to Canada

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

William Reavill aka Tait - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1126
Age:	14 (born 12 July 1881)
Whence received:
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Brown
Height:	4 ft 9 ins
Particular marks:	Anchor and other marks left arm; 'W' right arm
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	7 March 1896
Late residence:	8 Poplar Street, Nottingham
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	Schoolboy - has lived with grandmother for several years
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly, Standard 2
Writes:	Imperfectly, Standard 2
Offence:	Being on enclosed premises with intent to commit a felony
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Grandmother no control over boy
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	24 February 1896; E Winfield and J Renals; Nottingham Petty Sessions
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Nottingham
Sentence:	10 days in prison, detained at Saltley until 19 years of age
Previous committals:
Number:	3
Length:	1) 12 October 1894; 2) 26 November 1894; 3) 2 September 1895
For what:	1) Stone throwing; 2) stealing shoes; 3) indecent exposure
Father's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Mother's name:	Kate Tait
Occupation:	Questionable
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	No
Parents' treatment of child:	Grandmother appears to have been too indulgent
Character of parents	Mother is said to be a hair clipper
Parents' wages:	Not assessed
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	Water Lane, Nottingham
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	Governor, Nottingham Prison

Notes:

26 November 1894 A previous offence was reported in the Nottingham Evening Post Monday 26 November 1894 p.4 col.6: THEFT OF BOOTS. - Arthur Mitchell, aged 16, of 4 Malin-hill, bill distributor, and William Tate, aged 13, of 24, Great Alfred-street, were charged on remand with having stolen a pair of shoes, value 6s. 9d. the property of Mr. Samuel Smith, of Derby-road, on November 17th. The defendant Tate went into the shop of prosecutor and asked for a pair of shoes which had been repaired, Mitchell meanwhile standing outside. Afterwards a pair of shoes were missed from the counter. The two lads offered these shoes in pledge at the shop of Mr. Karmel, Glasshouse-street, who suspected them, and sent for the police. When arrested by Detective-officer Ware, Tate said he did steal them, and Mitchell was with him. Mr. Clayton, who appeared for Tate, said the lad had a good character, but had got into bad company. Mr. Swinburne, the school attendance officer, said neither was what could be called a bad lad, but Tate had certainly kept bad company. The magistrates ordered Tate come up for judgment when called upon, and fined Mitchell 5s.

30 March 1900 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Reavill was licensed to go out and work for Mrs Clarke, Bentley Farm, Hurley

10 April 1900 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records that Reavill had expressed a wish to enlist, which was granted, but was rejected because he was too slight. He was found work instead [previous Note]

12 July 1900 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley

12 August 1902 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Reavill, Malta

10 February 1903 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Reavill, Bermuda

14 April 1903 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Reavill, Bernuda

8 December 1903 The Log book report records receipt of a letter from Reavill, Bermuda

No. in Admissions Register:	684
Age:	11
Whence received:	H M Prison Stafford
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Hazel
Visage:	-
Particular marks:	Blue cut top of forehead
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	24 December 1881
Late residence:	Brownhills, Staffordshire
Parish he belongs to:	Walsall
Customary work and mode of life:	Has had no employment and led a vagrant life
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing boots
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Bad influence of parents
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	23 November 1881; J R Bagnall and A G Webb; Brownhills Court of summary Jurisdiction
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Stafford
Sentence:	1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	None
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	Michael Byfield
Occupation:	Miner
Mother's name:	Phoebe Byfield
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Believed to have treated the lad badly
Character of parents	Not healthy. Frequent low public houses habitually.
Parents' wages:	From 25s to 28s weekly
Amount parents agree to pay:	They plead inability to pay anything. Can no doubt contribute 1s per week at least
Parents address:	12 Shire Oaks Hill, Walsall Road, Walsall Wood, near Walsall
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Caleb Hockney, Brownhills, near Walsall
Person making this return:	A Barnes, Justices Clerk, Lichfield

Notes:

25 November 1881 There is a report of the crime in the Lichfield Mercury Friday 25 November 1881 p.8 col.3: ROBBERY BY BOYS. - Samuel Byfield, aged 11, and Enoch Byfield, aged 8, were brought up in custody charged with having on the 15th inst. stolen at Brownhills two pairs of boots, the property of William and Charles Stackhouse. - Annie Reader, wife of Cornelius Reader, of Chasetown, pawnbroker, said that the prisoners went to her shop on the previous Tuesday week. The elder prisoner, Samuel Byfield, went into her shop. Until then he was a stranger to her. He produced a pair of men's boots - they were new - and asked her to advance something on them. He said that they were too large for his father. She asked him his age. He said he was 13. He said that there was a liittle boy outside, whose mother had been ill a fortnight. He was afraid he was not old enough, but the mother wished him as the big boy to pledge a parcel which that little boy had. She asked to see the little boy. The little boy was brought in, and he placed another pair of boots upon the counter. The latter were also men's boots, and new also. She questioned both the lads. The little boy said that his mother had worn the boots for a fortnight. The answers did not seem satisfactory to her and she sent for the police, detaining the lads in the meantime. P.C. Peake went to the shop and the lads were further questioned. She said that the two pairs of boots looked as if bought together, and the elder boy said that his father had gone with the mother of the little boy, and they had bought the boots at the same time. The big boy added that his father had been in the new boots to Wolverhampton, but they had not been much dirtied as the train was clean. - P.C. Peake corroborated. He added that he said to the boys that they had stolen the boots from somewhere, and they said that they had not done so, but had been sent by their father and mother to pledge them. On leaving the pawnshop the boys started off one up the street and the other down as hard as they could run. At the station they made a statement in consequence of which witness took the boots to the shop of Mr. Stackhouse at Brownhills, who identified the goods as his property. - Mr. William Charles Stackhouse said that he had just commenced business as a boot and shoe seller at Brownhills. He did not know the prisoners, except that on the 14th inst. two boys entered his shop with some newspapers. He could not, however, identify the prisoners. He did not miss the boots until the following morning. They had been taken from two nails inside the shop. He next saw the boots when brought by the police. The boots could be reached by the elder boy. The value of the goods was 18s. 6d. the two pairs. - The elder prisoner said that the shoes were lying under the shop window, and they knocked at the door to return them but nobody came - Mr. Passy, school attendance officer from Brownhills, was called, and said that he could not get the children to school. The father had regular work, and the defendants had not been to school since March, and only 30 times in the six months previously. Witness gave the elder boy a good pair of boots, but the mother wore them herself. The father was a miner, and would earn about £1 or more a week. There were four children - one girl older and one a boy younger than the prisoners. - Col. Bagnall said it was a very bad case. The children were grossly neglected, and there could be no doubt that the boys had been set up to dishonesty. The boys would go to Stafford for one month each and then for five years to a Reformatory, the father paying towards their maintenance. - The Bench complimented Mrs. Reader on her part in the case.

In a similar report in the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle p.7 col.5 the brother's name is erroneously given as William.