Saltley Reformatory

Thomas Hughes - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1257
Age:	11 years 11 months (born 25 February 1889)
Whence received:	Newcastle under Lyme
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Sandy
Eyes colour:	Light blue
Height:	4 ft 5 ins
Particular marks:	2 dots both front and back of left arm
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	29 January 1901
Late residence:	28 Lower Green, Newcastle under Lyme
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	Police report - truant, refuses to go to school and the police have had repeated complaints about him staying out, but his conduct no doubt is due to neglect at home
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all, preparatory
Writes:	Not at all, preparatory
Offence:	Stealing money from a till
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Parental neglect
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	25 January 1901; N Webster and T P Heath; Newcastle under Lyme Petty Sessions
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	Detained at Saltley until 16 years of age
Previous committals:
Number:	1 (12 January 1900)
Length:	Birched
For what:	Larceny
Father's name:	Stephen Hughes
Occupation:	Iron worker
Mother's name:	Fanny Hughes
Occupation:	Housewife
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Not good by mother
Character of parents	Father respectable, quiet, hardworking man, mother drunken, lazy, dirty woman
Parents' wages:	-
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	28 Lower Green, Newcastle under Lyme
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Chief Constable, Newcastle under Lyme
Person making this return:	John Sterling, Chief Constable

Notes:

12 January 1900 A previous offence was reported in the Staffordshire Sentinel Friday 12 January 1900 p.4 col.1: BATCH OF BAD BOYS. - The small dock in this Court was more than filled when seven lads stood up, two charged with stealing an umbrella and the others with being concerned together in stealing from a shop in Liverpool-road a tin of cream toffee, valued at 1s. 8d. - Arthur Farrell, aged 11, of 19, Bailey-street, and Joseph Lakin, aged 8, of Bailey-street, were charged with stealing the umbrella, which belonged Miss Annie Proudlove, an assistant dressmaker at 6, High-street. - Prisoners, with some of the lads concerned in the other case, went to the house begging, and while Lakin took the umbrella from the passage FarrelI walked off with it and sold it for a penny. - Peter Appteton, Hassell-street; Alfred Fannon, Holborn; Ernest Lambert, Pepper-street; John Morican, Bailey's Bank; Thomas Hughes, Lower Green; Jos. Hughes, Holborn; and Joseph Lakin, Bailey-street, were next charged with stealing the tin of toffee from 74. Liverpool-road, the residence of Mr. A. G. Hail, grocer and confectioner. - It was stated that the tin of toffee stood on a shelf just behind the front door. Appleton was the one to purloin it, and the others afterwards shared the spoil. -The Chief Constable gave all the lads a bad character. Fannon, aged 15, had been three times previously convicted, and some of the others had been in trouble. The two Hughes and Lambert, he added, stole a bottle of rum the other day, and got drunk. - Morican, was the only one against whom nothing previous of a criminal nature was known, was discharged. Fannon was sent to a reformatory for four years; Appleton, Lambert, and the two Hughes were ordered to receive six strokes with the birch rod. The parents of Larkin and Farrell were bound over to bring the boys up for judgment if called upon. - Robert Sturgess, an elderly man, of Hall-street, who had been called as a witness, but was arrested in court without being asked to give evidence, was charged with receiving the umbrella well knowing it to have been stolen. The lad Farrell gave evidence, and said he asked the prisoner to buy the umbrella for a penny. Prisoner examined it, and witness said he had got it from Liverpool-road. The prisoner gave him the penny and took the umbrella. Other evidence was given by some of the. above-named lads, and the prisoner, who denied knowing it had been stolen, was fined 20s. and 18s. costs, or in default one month, no time to pay being allowed.

15 January 1900 Another previous offence was reported in the Staffordshire Sentinel Monday 15 January 1900 p.3 col.8: LADS IN TROUBLE AGAIN. - Ernest Lambert, Peter Appleton, and Thomas Hughes, three lads who were last week convicted of stealing a tin of toffee, and Thomas Scally, were charged with being concerned together in stealing three caps from the shop of Mr. G. R. Turner, hatter, of High-street, Newcastle, on the 8th inst. - Evidence was given to the effect that the lade took the caps from the shop door. The caps were valued at 1s. 6d. - All the lads pleaded guilty. - The Chief Constable said this offence took place before the offence for which three of the lads were convicted and birched last week. - Thomas Scally was ordered to have six strokes with the birch rod, and the parents of the other three lads were bound over for their good behaviour.

11 February 1905 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Hughes was licensed to go out and work for the Manager, Knutton Ironworks, Stoke on Trent

24 February 1905 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley

Albert Edward Green - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	559
Age:	14
Whence received:	Birmingham Borough Prison
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Light
Eyes colour:	Grey
Visage:	-
Particular marks:	Scar on right of forehead
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission and term:	13 October 1876 5 years
Late residence:	back 73 Garbutt Street, Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	St Mark's, Birmingham
Customary work and mode of life:	Glass blowing
Whether illegitimate:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing 5s
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Neglect of parents
Date of sentence, by who and court:	16 September 1876, Birmingham Police Court, W Holliday and G B Lloyd
Where imprisoned:	Birmingham Borough Prison
Sentence:	1 month prison (hard labour), 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	One
Length:	3 days and whipping
For what:	Stealing a pair of boots
Father's name:	Benjamin Green
Occupation:	-
Mother's name:	Maria Green
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	Not
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Good
Parents' wages:	Not known
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	back 73 Garbutt Street, Birmingham
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

28 May 1881 A letter I had written to him last week, this day returned

21 August 1881 Saw Green as we were coming from church. He is working in Clement Street at a chandelier factory

12 October 1881 Sent express

15 November 1881 Haynes calls today and tells me that he saw Green last night and that he was working at a chandelier factory, Barwell's and Son, Clement Street

4 December 1881 Green visited the school this day

Samuel Price - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	331
Date of admission:	1 March 1866
Whence received:	Stafford
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Light
Hair colour:	Light 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?	Smallpox
Particular marks:	Scar on forehead
Cutaneous disorder?	Not
Scrofulous or consumptive?	Not apparent
Subject to fits?	Not
Age last birthday:	14
Illegitimate?	-
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Brierley Hill
Parish he belongs to:	Kingswinford
Customary work and mode of life:	In a coal pit
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all
Writes:	Not at all
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Stealing a cap
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Bad company
Date of sentence:	15 February 1866
Where convicted:	Brierley Hill before I Spooner
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	14 days' prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	Two
Father's name:	James Price
Occupation:	Miner
Residence:	Thomas Garbett's, New Street, Prince's End, Tipton [Bell Street, Brierley Hill crossed out – previous address?]
Mother's name:	Mary Ann Price
Occupation:	-
Residence:	Thomas Garbett's, New Street, Prince's End, Tipton [Bell Street, Brierley Hill crossed out – previous address?]
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Father drunken. Both in good health
Parents' wages:	15s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	Thought able to pay 1s a 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:	1 Mar 1871 - discharged on expiration of sentence

Notes:

15 July 1865 There is a report of a previous offence in the County Advertiser and Herald for Staffordshire and Worcestershire Saturday 15 July 1965 p.5 col.3: JUVENILE DELINQUENTS.-On Monday, at the Police Court, before Messrs. F. Evers and T. Y. Lee, William Blower and Samuel Price, two boys about twelve years of age, were charged with having been on premises, belonging to Mr. Thomas Greenfield, Level Street, Brierley Hill, with intent to commit a felony. It appeared that Mr. Greenfield's garden had been often robbed during the present season, and about a quarter past one o'clock on the previous Friday morning he took a turn in the garden to see if there was any one about. In an outhouse he found the two prisoners. He went out with the intention of taking them to the police station; but on the way he met Police-sergeant Carroll, into whose custody be gave them. Mr. Greenfield and Carroll subsequently looked through the outhouse, and found a quantity of gooseberries in it. Both the boys had been previously convicted. Blower has respectable parents; but Price has a very uncomfortable home. They were sentenced to one month's imprisonment each.

17 February 1866 There is a report of the crime in the County Advertiser and Herald for Staffordshire and Worcestershire Saturday 17 February 1866 p.5 col.4: LARCENY BY A BOY. - At the Police Court, on Thursday, Samuel Price, fourteen years of age, was charged with stealing a waistcoat. the property of James North, and a cap, the property of Thomas Cox. The men are employed at Round Oak Works, where, on Tuesday morning, the stolen articles were hanging on a peg. They were missed, and were subsequently found in the possession of the boy. Sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment, and afterwards to five years detention in a Reformatory.

5 May 1866 His father was summoned because of non-payment for support of his son. The case is reported in the County Advertiser and Herald for Staffordshire and Worcestershire Saturday 5 May 1866 p.8 col.2: REFORMATORY CASE. - James Price, collier, was summoned to show cause why he should not contribute to the support of his son, who is in a reformatory. He peremptorily refused to do so, and the case was adjourned, for the purpose of producing evidence as to his earnings.[subsequently ordered to pay 1s per week]

17 August 1866 Absconded with 313 [James Bell]. Brought back next morning

18 May 1869 Licensed

1 March 1871 Discharged

William Turner - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	745
Age:	15
Whence received:	H M Prison Birmingham
Description:
Complexion:	Pale
Hair colour:	Dark brown
Eyes colour:	Dark blue
Visage:	Narrow
Particular marks:	scar on side(?) of forehead, cut on left wrist, cut on back of neck
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	1 February 1884
Late residence:	11 court 4 house Coleshill Street, Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	Birmingham
Customary work and mode of life:	Shoemaking
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Not at all
Offence:	Stealing a coat, cruet stand, and 2 pictures
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Associating with low and base companions
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	17 October 1883; H Stone; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Birmingham
Sentence:	14 days in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	Nil
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Mother's name:	Mary Ann Turner
Occupation:	Boot chaser
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	No, but cohabiting with a loose character
Parents' treatment of child:	Fair
Character of parents	Not known
Parents' wages:	When in full work the mother can earn £1 per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	11 court 4 house Coleshill Street, Birmingham
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

17 October 1883 There is a report of the crime in the Birmingham Mail Wednesday 17 October 1883 p.3 col.5: YOUNG BURGLARS. William Turner and Frederick James Allchurch, lads of 15 or 16 years of age, were charged with burglariously entering the house of John Morris, 89, Aston Street, last night, and stealing therein two pictures, a cruet stand, and other things. Prosecutor said he left the house yesterday evening about half-past eight, having locked the doors and taken the keys with him. Upon returning later on he observed a light being moved from the back part of the premises into the shop in front. He obtained the assistance of Police-constable Jones and they entered the house. The prisoners, who had forced an entry by the back window, were found in the kitchen, lying down behind the door and covered with a large overcoat. They had the pictures, the cruet stand, and a candle and box of matches tn their possession. - The boys said they went into the house to obtain a night's lodgings, and had no intention of stealing. - Prisoners were sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment, and then five years in a reformatory.

2 June 1886 Absconded from School at 3.30 today in company with James Woodcock [boy 722] and Charles Green [boy 731] from the playground

23 June 1886 Recaptured at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield by Superintendent, and brought back

29 August 1886 Enlisted today in H M Regiment of Royal Artillery

3 September 1886 Formally discharged from Saltley on account of enlisting

6 February 1887 The Reformatory Committee Log Book records receipt of a letter from Turner, Sharnecliffe Camp, Kent

20 September 1887 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Turner, Royal Artillery, Weedon, Northamptonshire

10 January 1888 The Log Book report records receipt of another letter from Turner, Royal Artillery, Weedon

5 April 1888 The Log Book report records receipt of another letter from Turner, Royal Artillery, Weedon

Charles Gibson - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1002
Age:	14
Whence received:	H M Prison Wakefield
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Black
Eyes colour:	Brown
Height:	4 ft 8½ ins
Particular marks:	Blue dot left forearm, right of left forefinger
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	20 May 1892
Late residence:	9 court 1 house Charles Street, Sheffield
Parish he belongs to:	Hull
Customary work and mode of life:	Bus conductor
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Well, Standard 5
Writes:	Well, Standard 5
Offence:	Stealing a pair of boots from a shop door and pawning them
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Father deserting them
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	30 April 1892; J H Barber; Sheffield Police Court
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Wakefield
Sentence:	21 days in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	1
Length:	Fined 10s
For what:	Stealing a coat
Father's name:	Robert Gibson
Occupation:	Bricklayer
Mother's name:	Harriet Gibson
Occupation:	Silver burnisher
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	-
Character of parents	Father deserted his family. Convicted of assaulting his wife about eight years ago at Dronfield, and a separation order granted, he to pay 10s weekly. The wife never received anything and not seen him since. She has had to keep 4 children.
Parents' wages:	Mother works as a silver burnisher, but in consequence of shortage of work earns 5s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	9 court 1 house Charles Street, Sheffield
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

1 March 1884 There is a short report of his parents' separation in the Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald Saturday 1 March 1884 p.3 col.6: NORTON WIFE BEATER. - Robert Gibson, bricklayer, Norton, was brought up on a warrant, charged with assaulting his wife, at Norton, on the 18th inst. - On the night referred to the defendant, who had been several times previously convicted for similar abuse, returned home in a state of intoxication and committed the assault complained of. - His wife stating that she was afraid to live with him again, the Bench fined him 20s. and costs, or one month's imprisonment, and made a separation order of 10s. a week for the maintenance of his wife and three children.

15 October 1892 The Medical Officer reported: Chilblain, doing well by 26 October

11 February 1893 The Medical Officer reported: Eczema

17 April 1895 The Medical Officer reported: Influenza (better), and much better by 25 April

2 November 1895 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Gibson was licensed to go out and work for Mr Cotton, 76 Hollins Croft, Sheffield

19 May 1897 Sentence expired whilst on licence, discharged from Saltley