Saltley Reformatory

George Henry Garmstone - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	950
Age:	12
Whence received:	H M Prison Stafford
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Grey
Height:	4 ft 2½ ins
Particular marks:	Small burn mark left side of chest, 2 small moles back of left forearm, large mole small of back
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	##################################
Late residence:	Pitt Square, Wednesbury
Parish he belongs to:	Wednesbury
Customary work and mode of life:	None
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all
Writes:	Not at all
Offence:	Stealing potatoes
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Lack of home training, having a drunken mother
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	27 June 1890; F A Horner and J P Cartwright; Bilston Petty Sessions
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Stafford
Sentence:	1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	Nil
Length:	-
For what:
Father's name:	Harry Garmstone
Occupation:	Puddler
Mother's name:	Alice Garmstone
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	-
Character of parents	Father reported as of good character, nother drunken
Parents' wages:	Father earns 24s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	Pitt Square, Wednesbury
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

11 May 1889 A previous offence was reported in the Birmingham Daily Post Saturday 11 May 1889 p.8 col.6: BILSTON. Police Court. -Yesterday, at the Police Court, George Henry Garmston, Joseph Davies, and J.T. Hennisford three boys, were charged with breaking into the provision warehouse of Mr. T. Spittle, Holyhead Road, Wednesburv, on the 8th inst., and stealing therefrom some sixty eggs, tins of corned beef, and a quantity of jam, value 14s. Hennisford broke into the warehouse with a pike about midnight, and the other two prisoners shared the plunder. Hennisford was ordered to receive ten stokes with the birch, and Garmiston and Davies six strokes each.

28 June 1890 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Birmingham Daily Post Saturday 28 June 1890 p.11 col.2: ROBBERY BY BOYS. - At the Police Court, yesterday, Edward Murphy and Joseph Henry Davies, of Dean Street; George Ganiston [surname given thus], of Pitt's Square; and William Henry Price, of Brickkiln Street, all of Wednesbury, were charged with stealing peas, potatoes, and other produce from the shop of Albert Jennings, of Potter's Lane, Wednesbury. - Ganiston and Davies having been previously convicted, were each sentenced to one month's imprisonment and five years in a reformatory school. Murphy was fined 5s., and Price, who is only seven years old, was severely cautioned.

15 February 1894 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Garmstone was licensed to go out and work for Mr Burk Sawyer, Wednesbury

10 June 1895 Returned to Saltley from on licence, as the Superintendent of the Reformatory was not satisfied with the boy's employment

25 July 1895 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley

James Edward Wistow - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1205
Age:	15 (born 24 January 1884)
Whence received:	Rotherham
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh, mottled
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Mottled grey
Height:	4 ft 7½ ins
Particular marks:	JW right forearm; scar left breast
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	28 July 1899
Late residence:	-
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	-
Whether illegitimate:	Yes
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all
Writes:	Not at all
Offence:	Stealing 8s and paper checks from a theatre
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Police and parent state: absolutely unmanageable. Beyond control of parents. At times very lazy, won't work regularly
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	17 July 1899; Edward Hickmott and Walker Spencer; Rotherham Court House
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	3 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	None (but once previously charged with stealing cigarettes. Discharged on account of youth
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	Naylor, - (step-father) [first name not given]
Occupation:	Labourer
Mother's name:	Fanny Naylor
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	-
Character of parents	-
Parents' wages:	About £1 per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	Mary Street, Rotherham
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	E Hickmott

Notes:

18 September 1899 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Sheffield Independent Tuesday 18 September 1899 p.8 col.3: THEFT FROM A THEATRE. At the Rotherham Borough Police Court, before Ald. E. Hickmott and Mr. W. Spencer, yesterday, James Wistow, aged 15, of 18, Mary street, and James Brown, aged 14, of 134, Eastwood lane, were charged with stealing 8s. and a quantity of paper checks from the Theatre Royal, Rotherham, on July 9th. - Mr. W. Manning, the manager of the theatre, said on the Sunday morning in question he went to the theatre at nine o'clock and missed the stolen property, which had been taken from a mantel shelf. The prisoners had evidently got through a door where early tickets were sold, and had gone out at the back of the premises, which they had unlocked. - Thomas Morley, of Greasbro' road, said he saw the prisoners on Saturday midnight, and they went to Brown's house and slept there. They got up at a quarter to five o'clock in the morning, and Brown asked Wistow to go to the theatre to get some checks. Witness refused to go. He saw the prisoners afterwards, and they said they had had a shilling each, and gave him 2d. in Nottingham street. - Detective-sergeant Ross said he arrested the prisoners, and they made no reply to the charge. - Wistow, who had a bad character, was sent to a reformatory for three years, an Brown was dealt with under the First Offenders' Act. The Bench also admonished Morley as to his future conduct.

22 March 1902 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Wistow was licensed to go out and work for Dr Lunn, Olton, near Birmingham

22 March 1902 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Wistow was re-licensed to go out and work for Mr Woodham, Rotherham Main Colliery

16 July 1902 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley

No. in Admissions Register:	138
Date of admission:	19 January 1858
Whence received:	New Bailey Prison, Salford
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Fair
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?	Says yes
Particular marks:	Scar in centre of forehead and back of neck
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	No
Age last birthday:	14
Illegitimate?	No
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	16 Water Street, Bolton
Parish to which he belongs:	Malton, Yorkshire
Customary work and mode of life:	Has recently been a card tester in a factory, but prior to that had no occupation
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	-
Writes:	-
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Stealing a coal box containing 7 lbs of bones
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Evil companions
Date of sentence:	30 December 1857
Where convicted:	Bolton General Quarter Sessions before R B Armstrong, Esq, Recorder
Sentence:	21 days prison, hard labour, 5 years at Saltley
Where imprisoned:	-
Previous committals and convictions:	-
Father's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Mother's name:	Mary Drake
Occupation:	Washerwoman
Residence:	16 Water Street, Bolton
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	No
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents:	-
Parents' wages:	-
Weekly amount parents will pay:	-
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	L H Mitchell, Governor, New Bailey Prison, Salford
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	Jul 1861 - emigrated to Sydney, Australia aboard the Stornaway

Notes:

2 January 1858 There is a very brief report of his offence in the Bolton Chronicle Saturday 2 January 1858 p.7 col.5: Thomas Chadwick, 10, James Drake, 13, and Joseph Berry, 13, stealing, 1st December, a coal box and 7 pounds of bones, the property of Thomas Marsden. - Each twenty-one days imprisonment, and five years to a Reformatory.

3 May 1860 The Reformatory Minute Book records: 674. The following boys were reported by the Superintendent as suitable for recommendation to situations or emigration though their term of detention is unexpired: Drake, Smith [boy 123], Blick [boy 136], Finn [boy 101], Bentley [boy 139], Francis [boy 130]

675. Resolved: That an enquiry be made respecting the homes of Drake and Bentley and if they can obtain employment. If the investigation be satisfactory, and order to be obtained for their discharge.

10 July 1861 A note in the Admissions Register says: I acknowledge that I emigrate to Sydney of my own free will and am thankful to the Committee of the School for allowing me the privilege of going. [signed] James Drake.

5 July 1860 The Minute Book records: 691. …Also that Drake's mother refused to allow him to go to sea, and it appears undesirable that he should return home.

July 1861 Sailed from London in the Stornoway for Sydney with 152 [John Abberley], 147 [Hector Beaton] and 137 [Joseph Berry]

25 August 1862 J Abberley (boy 152) writes and says that Drake is gone to the gold diggings.

Matthew Murphy - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1
Date of admission:	6 November 1848
Weekly payments:	-
Age:	17
Education:	Could read
Employment:	Errand boy
Crimes, how often and in what prison:	Newgate, 3
Training in reformatory:	Shoemaking
When left reformatory:	July 1853
Parentage and family:	Father living
Residence:	London
Trade of father:	Striker
With whom the boy is placed:	-
Address:	-
Trade:	-

Notes: none

James West - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	97
Date of admission:	19 April 1856
Weekly payments:	-
Age:	14
Education:	Reads and writes a little
Previous employment:	-
Crimes, how often and in what prison:	1
Training in reformatory:	-
When left reformatory:	Shoemaker
Parentage and family:	Father Richard West, mother living
Residence:	Moresfield, Worcester
Trade of father:	Gardener
With whom the boy is placed:	Went 11 June 1858 to work for R Smith
Address:	Cheltenham
Trade:	Shoemaker

Notes:

9 April 1856 A brief report of the crime is given in the Worcestershire Chronicle Wednesday 9 April 1856 p.2 col.5: WEST, James, errand boy to Mr Stringer, chemist, to stealing money, this morning, the property of his master. Fourteen days solitary confinement, and then to be sent to the Saltley Reformatory for three years.

20 December 1856 His father failed to pay maintenance, as reported in the Worcester Journal Saturday 20 December 1856, p.8 col.5::MAINTENANCE OF PRISONERS IN REFORMATORIES: - Richard West, and old man and a saddler by trade, was summoned at the instance of Mr Morgan, specially appointed by the Secretary of State to take proceedings in such cases, to show cause why he should not contribute a weekly sum of 5s for three years, towards the maintenance of his son James, who was committed some time back for felony, and who is at present an inmate of the Saltley Reformatory. West pleaded inability from poverty, and this in reality appearing to be the case, the bench although they expressed their desire to vindicate the law, thought their was sufficient ground to excuse the man, and the case on that account was not pressed against him.

14 July 1858 The Reformatory Minute Book reports: 519. An application from R Smith of Charlton Kings [near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire] to be allowed to receive James West as an apprentice was read.

Resolved: That application be made to the Secretary of State for a discharge in order that the boy may be apprenticed to Mr Smith.