Saltley Reformatory

Frank Pauley - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1248
Age:	15 (born 8 August 1885)
Whence received:	Coventry Petty Sessions
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Bluish grey
Height:	5 ft 9½ ins
Particular marks:	Small scar under right side of jaw; scar inside left arm; scar left knee; cut scar inside left thumb
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes - overgrown
Date of admission:	26 October 1900
Late residence:	4 court 18 house Spon Street, Coventry
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	Odd jobs - carrying of parcels, etc
Whether illegitimate:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Larceny
Circumstances which may have led to it:	He has been a companion of thieves and is suspected of similar offences. Had 13 keys upon him to open doors of void [empty] premises
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	20 October 1900; James Marriott and R Hill; Coventry Petty Sessions
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	Detained at Saltley until 1 July 1904 (almost 19 years of age)
Previous committals:
Number:	1
Length:	-
For what:	Stealing a hammer
Father's name:	John Pauley
Occupation:	Outside station porter
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Mother
Survivor married again?	No/td>
Parents' treatment of child:	Not good
Character of parents	Fairly respectable
Parents' wages:	Not stated
Amount parents agree to pay:	Not assessed
Parents address:	4 court 18 house Spon Street, Coventry
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Chief Constable, Coventry
Person making this return:	James Shelley, Inspector of Police

Notes:

20 October 1900 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Coventry Evening Telegraph Saturday 20 October 1900 p.2 col.5: SENT TO A REFORMATORY. Frank Pauley, a young labourer, living at 4 court, 18 house, Spon Street, was charged with stealing, on the 12th, a lump hammer, value 2s. 6d., the property of Charles Sewell, and on the 15th, from a shed in St. Patrick's Road, a billhook value 2s. 6d., the property of George Blakeman In the first case the hammer had been left locked in a shed on a building in course of erection in St. Patrick's Road by the prosecutor, who was working on the job. The shed was next morning found broken open, and the tools were all emptied out of the bags, and the hammer missing. Police-constable Hutt made enquiries, and ultimately had an interview with the accused, who admitted stealing the hammer, and also the billhook, which formed the subject of the second charge. The articles were found at his home in Spon Street, and a large bunch of keys was found on him. He had nothing to say except that he was guilty. His father said the lad was only fifteen years of age, which was remarkable, as he was fully six feet high. He had done no work since last Christmas. The Bench decided to send him to a reformatory until July 1, 1904.

25 October 1902 Discharged from Saltley by Order of the Home Secretary on account of enlisting in the Coldstream Guards

10 June 1903 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Pauley, Aldershot

6 October 1903 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Pauley, Aldershot

8 December 1903 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Pauley [spelled Pawley in the Log book], Windsor

11 October 1904 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Pauley, Windsor

Isaac Gittings - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	16
Date of admission:	13 January 1853
Weekly payments:	-
Age:	12
Education:	indifferent
Previous employment:	errand boy
Crimes, how often and in what prison:	Birmingham, 5
Training in reformatory:	Tailor
When left reformatory:	20 September 1854
Parentage and family:	Mother living
Residence:	-
Trade of father:	-
With whom the boy is placed:	Bristol Reformatory
Address:	-
Trade:	-

Notes:

12 September 1853 In an extensive report of an inquiry into brutal treatment in Birmingham Gaol in Aris’s Birmingham Gazette, Monday 12 Sep 1853 p.6 col.3, is the following: …boys from the Reformatory School were then examined as to the state of discipline at the time they were in the gaol:- … Isaac Giddings [surname spelled thus], aged eleven, who had been imprisoned three or four times said – I remember being put in the strait jacket three or four months ago. I was taken before the Governor, who sentenced me yo be put three days in the strait jacket, three days on bread and water, to be kept three days from going to Chapel, three days no exercise, and fourteen nights without my bed till ten o’clock. I had the jacket on from about eleven in the morning till supper time, had a collar round my neck, and was strapped to the wall. They gave me bread, and called it a six ounce loaf, but I do not think it was; it was only the size of my fist. It was ‘chucked’ in through the hole in the door. I could not get at it till I had the collar taken off. I had gruel offered me. I was put into the strait jacket for three days because in dusting my window I knocked a bit of soap down which was put to stop a hole in one of the panes. At the Sessions I was sentenced by Mr Spooner, who said he would try to get some kind gentleman to take me, and if he could not he must transport me for seven years. The Governor took me back to Mr Spooner, and my sentence was altered to seven days imprisonment, after which it was arranged that I should go to Mr Ellis’s.

7 October 1854 in the Minute Book of the Reformatory it is recorded that I Gittings has been transferred to Kingswood, Bristol, at the entire expense of Mr William Miles MD, who pays Miss Carpenter 7 shillings a week on his account, and we have received in exchange a boy of the name Sylvester [boy 59] from Shepton Mallett, Somersetshire, at the recommendation of Mr Miles.

George Poulson - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	227
Date of admission:	30 September 1861
Whence received:	-
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	-
Hair colour:	-
Eyes colour:	-
Perfect vision?	-
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Sound intellect?	-
Use of all limbs?	-
Had cow or small pox?	-
Particular marks:	-
Cutaneous disorder?	-
Scrofulous or consumptive?	-
Subject to fits?	-
Age last birthday:	-
Illegitimate?	-
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	Liverpool
Customary work and mode of life:	Sailor
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Pocket picking
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Neglect of parents
Date of sentence:	1 April 1861
Where convicted:	Birmingham, before the Recorder
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	Birmingham
Sentence:	-
Previous committals and convictions:	Three, for larceny
Father's name:	George Poulson
Occupation:	Works at tobacconist
Residence:	On tramp
Mother's name:	Mary Poulson
Occupation:	Works at tobacconist
Residence:	-
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Bad
Character of parents	Dissolute
Parents' wages:	Not known
Amount parents agree to pay:	None
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	G Povey, Burslem
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	W E Oakeford, Peckleton
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	-

Notes:

2 April 1861 There is a probable report of the crime, with his surname badly misheard/ misconstrued in the Birmingham Daily Post Tuesday 2 April 1861 p.2 col.6: PICKING POCKETS AT THE THEATRE DOOR. - Two youths, named George Wassall and George Balsam were proved to have picked the pocket of a respectable married woman, named Georgiana, Nicholls. The case was proved by a respectable man, a pensioner with three medals. He showed that as soon as the pair of thieves had possessed themselves of the purse of Mrs. Nicholls, they gave the money, with lbs exception of 1s. and some coppers, to two men who stood near, apparently for the purpose of receiving the plunder. They were laid hold of by the witness, ant taken to the station. A verdict of guilty was returned, and Balsam was sent to the Akbar receiving ship, at Liverpool for five years, and Wassall had one year's Imprisonment In gaol, with hard labour. [The Akbar was an old frigate converted to a training ship/ reformatory. The boy was presumably transferred from the Akbar to Saltley after a few months, judging by the gap between the trial and his admission to Saltley].

10 March 1862 Absconded

Guiseppi Trefani - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	736
Age:	14
Whence received:	H M Prison Plymouth
Description:
Complexion:	Fair
Hair colour:	Light brown
Eyes colour:	Blue
Visage:	Oval
Particular marks:	Mole on neck, 2 marks on left leg
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	15 November 1883
Late residence:	2 Stoke Road, Plymouth
Parish he belongs to:	St Andrews, Plymouth
Customary work and mode of life:	Moulder of stucco images
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing books and paper from a shop
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Associating with other young thieves. This boy is clever at his trade but appears to be easily led astray by other boys
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	27 October 1883; G T Rolston and W Peck; Devonport Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Plymouth
Sentence:	20 days prison, 3 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	4
Length:	1 of 4 months, the others of shorter term
For what:	Larcenies
Father's name:	Trefani
Occupation:	Modeller of stucco images
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Mother
Survivor married again?	No
Parents' treatment of child:	Kind
Character of parents	Good
Parents' wages:	Not known
Amount parents agree to pay:	An order will be made, but I cannot say to what extent
Parents address:	2 Stoke Road, Plymouth
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	John Lynn, Head Constable, Devonport
Person making this return:	John Lynn, Head Constable, Devonport
Notes:
13 February 1882 There is a report of a previous offence in the Western Morning News Monday 13 February 1883 p.3 col.1: Joseph Trafani, 12, was charged before Messrs. Isaac Latimer and James King, borough magistrates, sitting at the Plymouth Police Court on Saturday, with being in the shop of Mr. Robert Gloyn, grocer, 57 Notte-street, for an unlawful purpose. As Trafani was well known to the police, having been twice convicted of felony, he was sent to prison for twenty-one days with hard labour.

29 October 1883 There is a report of the crime that sent him to Saltley in the Western Daily Mercury Monday 29 October 1883 p.2 col.7: RECENT THIEFS AT DEVONPORT. - At Devonport Police-court on Saturday, before the Mayor (Mr. G. T. Rolston) and Mr. W. Peek, borough magistrates, a lad aged 14, named Guiseppe Trafani. living at Stoke-road, Plymouth, was charged with being concerned, with two other lads, named Hooper and Donovan, in stealing eight hooks, the property of Mary Ann Pearce, of 40 Marlborough-street. and three pairs of boots, the property Mr. S. Millman, 70 Princes-street, Devonport. On the 15th instant the lads were seen by Mrs. Pearce to ran out of her shop with a number of books. She ran down the street after them and saw them take the boots from Mr. Millman's doorway. Hooper and Donovan were apprehended the next day, and each had since been sentenced to three months imprisonment. Trafani, who escaped, was apprehended on Friday at Tavistock by Detective Sergeant Wansley, and brought before the Devonport magistrates on Saturday, and Mr T. C. Brian appeared for the lad's father, and represented that the prisoner, who had been previously convicted, had fallen into bad company. He asked the magistrates to send him away to a reformatory for a period, as he did not think a short term of imprisonment would do him any good. The Bench acceded to the request, and sentenced the prisoner to ten days' imprisonment and three years in a reformatory.

17 July 1885 Absconded, noted in the Log Book on 4 August 1885 as not yet recaptured

13 November 1886 Sentence expired, formally discharged from Saltley

December 1886 The Reformatory Committee Log Book records receipt of a letter from Trafani, 2 Stoke Road, Plymouth

24 January 1887 The Log Book records receipt of another letter from Trefani

20 September 1887 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Trefani in Plymouth

10 January 1888 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Trefani, Plymouth, Devon

11 June 1889 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Trefani, Plymouth, Devon

10 December 1889 The Log Book report records receipt of another letter from Trafani [spelled thus], Plymouth

Albert Edwards - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	994
Age:	14
Whence received:	H M Prison Stafford
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Brown
Height:	5 ft 0 ins
Particular marks:	Prominent front teeth; 4 dots left arm, across and around and several dots back of left forearm; another back of right forearm;
State of health:	-
Able-bodied?	-
Date of admission:	22 February 1892
Late residence:	60 Russell Street, Wolverhampton
Parish he belongs to:	Wolverhampton
Customary work and mode of life:	None
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly, Standard 3
Writes:	Imperfectly, Standard 3
Offence:	Stealing slippers
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Failure on the part of the parents to control him
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	9 February 1892; J C Major and J Jones; Wolverhampton Police Court
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Stafford
Sentence:	14 days hard labour in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	7 - see police report [not attached]
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	Thomas Edwards
Occupation:	Blacksmith
Mother's name:	Ann Edwards
Occupation:	Polisher in iron works
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	-
Character of parents	Father has deserted his family three years. Mother an "honest, respectable, hard-working woman"
Parents' wages:	Mother 12s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	60 Russell Street, Wolverhampton
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

27 April 1892 The Medical Officer reported: Psoriasis, and again on 6 August

28 April 1892 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records that: one new boy (Albert Edwards), admitted since your last meeting, has twice absconded, but was only about a few hours on each occasion

8 January 1895 Discharged from Saltley by order of the Home Secretary, having enlisted in the King's Royal Rifles, stationed at Dover

11 June 1895 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Edwards, Dover

8 August 1899 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Edwards, Chatham

10 October 1899 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Edwards, Chatham