Saltley Reformatory

John Hamilton - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1273
Age:	14 (born 15 October 1886)
Whence received:	Birmingham Petty Sessions
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh, pale
Hair colour:	Very light brown
Eyes colour:	Grey mottled
Height:	4 ft 9½ ins
Particular marks:	+.A [+ is pictorial cross] left forearm; 3rd finger right arm smashed
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	17 May 1901
Late residence:	3 Regents Place, St Marks Street, Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	Casual employment. His father states that he is in the habit of stealing money from home and is very violent in temper, often picking up knives and threatening those around him
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly, Standard 3
Writes:	Imperfectly, Standard 3
Offence:	Larceny from railway station
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Appears to be of a strange temperament
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	14 May 1901; A Chamberlain and T Poynton; Birmingham Petty Sessions
Where imprisoned:	Not
Sentence:	4 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	None
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	William Hamilton
Occupation:	Crane worker
Mother's name:	Jane Hamilton
Occupation:	Housewife
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Good
Parents' wages:	Not stated
Amount parents agree to pay:	Not yet assessed
Parents address:	3 Regents Place, St Marks Street, Birmingham
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Chief Constable, Birmingham
Person making this return:	Inspector Hall

Notes:

19 January 1904 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Hamilton was licensed to go out and work for the Manager, New Hudson Cycle Co, Birmingham

11 May 1905 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley

No. in Admissions Register:	340
Date of admission:	4 August 1866
Whence received:	Stafford
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Light brown
Eyes colour:	Blue
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 wrist, moles near left armpit and fore left collar bone
Cutaneous disorder?	Warts
Scrofulous or consumptive?	Not
Subject to fits?	Not
Age last birthday:	9
Illegitimate?	Yes
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Gnosall, Staffordshire
Parish he belongs to:
Customary work and mode of life:	Fieldwork – generally wandered about pilfering
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Nil
Writes:	Nil
Cyphers:	Nil
General ability:	-
Offence:	Stealing money
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Neglect of mother
Date of sentence:	14 July 1866
Where convicted:	Stafford Petty Sessions before W Hanson and J Cruso
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	21 days prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	None
Father's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Mother's name:	Sarah Adderley
Occupation:	Single woman
Residence:	Gnosall, Staffordshire
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	The grandfather will not allow him with his mother, so he has wandered about unprotected
Character of parents	Good in these respects [honesty, sobriety, and health] but has two other illegitimate children
Parents' wages:	No regular work
Amount parents agree to pay:	Not able to pay
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Superintendent Adams, Stafford
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	W Fulford, Governor, Stafford County Prison
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	Emigrated to Canada on 01 Jun 1871

Notes:

21 July 1866 There is a report of the crime in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 21 July 1866 p.7 col.3: THEFT BY A YOUTH.- George Adderley. a boy nine years of age, was charged with stealing a purse. £2. and a silver watch, the property of William Fowell, and a gold watchguard and a jacket the property of Sarah Ann Hill, at Gnosall. on the 11th inst. The prisoner pleaded guilty to stealing all the articles except the watch, of which he denied all knowledge. It appeared that he got into the house during the absence of the inmates and stole the property in question, which hid in various places. The police stated that the prisoner was an illegitimate child and that his mother lived with her father, who refused to have anything to do with the lad. He had therefore wandered about, sleeping in outhouses and other places. The Bench ordered him to be imprisoned for twenty-one days, and afterwards sent to a reformat>ry for five years. They severely censured the mother for her disgraceful neglect of the child.

1 June 1871 Emigrated to Canada

13 September 1871 Wrote saying he is settled comfortably

John Hammond - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	686
Age:	9
Whence received:	Stafford Prison
Description:
Complexion:	Pale
Hair colour:	Light
Eyes colour:	Hazel
Visage:	-
Particular marks:	Mole on right wrist; 2 moles left side of face
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	13 January 1882
Late residence:	Newcastle under Lyme
Parish he belongs to:	Newcastle under Lyme
Customary work and mode of life:	Has been in Stoke on Trent Union Workhouse for about 3 months. Since then has been loitering about the streets selling matches
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing a razor
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	12 December 1881; J Griffiths and JG Williams; Newcastle under Lyme Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Stafford
Sentence:	1 month hard labour in prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	1
Length:	24 hours in the Borough cells and 6 strokes with birch
For what:	Stealing a quantuty of Christmas cards and a dozen looking glasses
Father's name:	John Oliver (step-father)
Occupation:	Potter
Mother's name:	Hannah Oliver
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	Yes
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Honest and sober, health good
Parents' wages:	16s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	Has offered to pay 1s 6d per week. Has a family of 5 children depending on them
Parents address:	Imperial Yard, Penkhull Street, Newcastle under Lyme
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	F Dutton, Head Constable, Newcastle under Lyme
Person making this return:	Frederick Dutton, Head Constable, Newcastle under Lyme

Notes:

10 December 1881 There was a report of the previous offence in the Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser Saturday 10 December 1881 p.5 col.4: MAGISTERIAL. - At the Borough Police Court, yesterday (Friday), before Messrs. J. Griffith (Mayor) and C. Massey, John Hammond and George Henry Cadman, aged ten and nine respectively, living in Stubbs-street, were charged with stealing a number of fancy cards, value about 1s. 6d., the property of Mr. C. Hughes, stationer, Hassall-street; and also with stealing a dozen small looking-glasses from a shop in Church-street. The lads, it appears, have been connected with a number of others who have been in the habit of committing depredations of a petty character at shops in the borough. On Thursday they wee seen loitering about the two shops referred to, and the articles being missed, information was given to the police, who found them offering them for sale. When arrested, some of the stolen goods were found in their possession. The Bench ordered each of the lads to be kept in the borough lock-up for twenty-four hours, and afterwards to receive six stroke! each with a birch rod.

12 December 1881 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Staffordshire Sentinel Monday 12 December 1881 p.3 col.4: JUVENILE DEPRAVITY - John Hammond, a small boy, was in custody on a charge cf stealing a razor, value 2s., the property of William Evans, picture dealer, Liverpool-road, on Saturday. - As will be seen from our Saturday's issue, the lad was on Friday, at this Court, convicted of a petty theft, and sentenced to be imprisoned for twenty-four hours and receive six strokes with a birch rod. The latter having been administered to him on Saturday morning at the expiration of his term of incarceration in the borough lock-up, within three hours he stole the razor from Mr. Evans's shop, and was found P S Mandley offering it for sale to a woman named Harrison keeping a stall in Penkhull-street, to whom he made a statement that he had found it. - The lad pleaded guilty to the theft; and his stepfather, a hollowware-presser named Oliver, elected that he should be summarily dealt with. - The Bench said the lad had been so many times before the magistrates, that it appeared useless to either whip or imprison him They decided to commit him to gaol for a month, and to order him to be afterwards kept in a reformatory for five years.

William Wyke - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	436
Age:	10
Whence received:	Stafford Gaol
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Light brown
Eyes colour:	Grey
Visage:	-
Particular marks:	Mole on left cheek
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission and term:	17 November 1870 4 years
Late residence:	Willenhall
Parish he belongs to:	Willenhall
Customary work and mode of life:	File cutting
Whether illegitimate:	Not
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Embezzlement
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence, by who and court:	17 October 1870, Stafford Quarter Sessions, R Kettle, chairman
Where imprisoned:	Stafford County Prison
Sentence:	1 month prison (hard labour), 4 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	None
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	John Wyke
Occupation:	Carter
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Own mother
Survivor married again?	Yes
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Honest, sober, and in good health
Parents' wages:	20s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	1s per week
Parents address:	Wood Street, Willenhall
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	H McCrea, Bilston
Person making this return:	-

Notes:

21 October 1870 There is a report of the crime in the Birmingham Daily Post Friday 21 October 1870 p.7 col.2: A YOUNG EMBEZZLER. - William Wyke (9), was indicted for embezzling 7s., the moneys of his master, Joseph Phllips engine-fitter, Willenhall, on the 5th of September. Mr. Smith prosecuted. It appeared that the prisoner was sent to the shop of a person named Marston, lockmaker, Willenhall, where he was paid the sum of 7s., but had never handed it over to his master. The Jury returned a verdict of "Guilty "and prisoner was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, at the expiration of which time he was ordered to be sent to a reformatory for four years.

28 May 1874 There is a letter from his intended employer: Willenhall, May 28th, Mr Humphreys [in charge of the institution], D. Sir, I am requested by the father of William Wyke to ask you to be kind enough to send his son by the train which leaves Vauxhall [station for a district in Birmingham] at 2.45 on Monday, for which I enclose 12 stamps, and his mother will meet him at the Willenhall Market Place station. He also requests me to thank you for your kindness to his son. I remain, Your … [illegible word], S Baxter, Grocer, Market Place, Willenhall

1 June 1873 Went to work for Mr Baxter, Market Place, Willenhall

Richard Hope - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	762
Age:	14
Whence received:	H M Prison Derby
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Blue
Visage:	Oval
Particular marks:	Scar on left on left leg
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	28 January 1885
Late residence:	22 Gordon Street, Derby
Parish he belongs to:	Christchurch, Derby
Customary work and mode of life:	1) Errand boy; 2) Jagger in bootlace factory
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing 5 fowls at Derby
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Associating with bad characters
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	15 January 1885; J Bailey and C Dowring; Derby Borough Court
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Derby
Sentence:	14 days hard labour in prison, 4 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	2
Length:	1) Fined 5s; 2) fined 5s
For what:	1) Throwing stones; 2) stealing a pistol
Father's name:	Joseph Hope
Occupation:	Smith
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Good character (both)
Parents' wages:	Father out of employment at present
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	22 Gordon Street, Derby
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	The Governor of H M Prison Derby

Notes:

30 May 1884 There is a report of a previous offence in the Sheffield Independent Friday 30 May 1884 p.3 col.8: DERBY. - FOWLSTEALING BY BOYS. - At the Derby Police Court yesterday three boys named Elijah Wilcock, Richard Hope, and Cyrus Lawrence were charged with stealing five fowls, valued at 15s., belonging to George Payne, cab proprietor, of 32, Provident street. - The prosecutor has a stable in Cumming street, where he keeps fowls. Five of them were stolen on Wednesday morning by the prisoners, who sold four of them to Mr. Holmes, foreman of the locomotive stores at the Midland Works. Hope acted as salesman, and said he had brought the fowls from home, as his parents wished to dispose them. At night Detective Cley found the prisoners at the circus, and they then admitted having committed the theft and divided the money realised by the sale. - Lawrence, who was younger than the other boys, was ordered to receive six strokes with a birch rod. The other boys were sent to gaol for 14 days and a reformatory for four years.

29 July 1884 There is a report of another offence report in the Derby Daily Telegraph Tuesday 29 July 1884 p.3 cols. 3-4: THEFT OF FIREARMS. - Edgar Wilcox (14), Richard Hope (15), and Joseph Hodget (14), were charged with stealing, on the 23rd inst., 2 pistols, 2 powder flasks, a pair of scissors, and a microscope, the property of Mr. T. Hill, of Normanton- -street. - Walter Sherwin Jones was charged with receiving one of the pistols, well knowing the same to have been stolen. - Mr Hill has a garden in Whitaker-lane, and on Tuesday night he left the above articles with others in an arbour which was locked. The windows had been smashed, and an entrance effected through the windows. The things were worth 16s., and the damage done to the arbour windows 5s. - Detective Claye said from what he heard he arrested the prisoners, and charged them with stealing the property mentioned. - All the prisoners pleaded guilty. Hope and Hodget were fined 5s. including costs, Wilcox was ordered to receive 12 stokes of the birch rod, and .Jones was sent to goal for the three months' with hard labour.

16 January 1885 There is a report of the crime in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph Friday 16 January 1885 p.4 col.2: DERBY. - FOWLSTEALING BY BOYS. - At the Derby Police Court yesterday three boys named Elijah Wilcock, Richard Hope, and Cyrus Lawrence were charged with stealing five fowls, valued at 15s., belonging to George Payne, cab proprietor, of 32, Provident street. - The prosecutor has a stable in Cumming street, where he keeps fowls. Five of them were stolen on Wednesday morning by the prisoners, who sold four of them to Mr. Holmes, foreman of the locomotive stores at the Midland Works. Hope acted as salesman, and said he had brought the fowls from home, as his parents wished to dispose them. At night Detective Cley found the prisoners at the circus, and they then admitted having committed the theft and divided the money realised by the sale. - Lawrence, who was younger than the other boys, was ordered to receive six strokes with a birch rod. The other boys were sent to gaol for 14 days and a reformatory for four years.

30 December 1885 Medical officer reports: Inflamed parotid gland (not contagious mumps)
31 October 1887 The Reformatory Committee Log Book records Hope as being licensed to go out to work for J Bennett & Son, Derby

5 April 1888 The Log Book report records that Hope is now in H M Prison Derby, with hard labour. There is a probable report of the offence in the Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal Saturday 24 March 1888 p.3 col.5: THEFTS OF POULTRY. - Samuel Lloyd (aged 14), Richard Hope (aged 18), and George Lloyd (aged 11) were charged with stealing a hen, valued at 3s., the property of William Bednall, at Normanton, on the 8th. inst. - The prosecutor is a shopkeeper at Normanton, and keeps fowls, which he allows to run in the road. He missed one of them, valued at 3s., on the day in question. A man named Holmes saw the two elder defendants with the fowl, and he purchased it for 2s. - Police-sergeant Lowe apprehended the elder prisoners at Allenton, on the day afterwards, when they admitted the offence. - Sergeant Stanley arrested the other prisoner on another charge. - The same prisoners were farther charged with stealing two ducks, the property of Trevor Martin, of Osmaston, on the 8th. inst. - Selina Marlin, wife of the prosecutor, stated that, on the 8th. inst., she had 21 ducks. She let them out of the pen to go to the canal, and in the evening two were missing. She afterwards saw them at a shop in Allenton. - Mrs. Broad, wife of James Broad, of Allenton. stated that she purchased the ducks for 4s. 6d., at her shop, from the three defendants, who said they were their own, and she had purchased them from the boys on the Monday in the week. - Police-sergeant Stanley said that when he charged the boys with the theft while they were in custody on another charge, they admitted it. - Hope having been previously convicted for larceny, was sent to gaol for twelve weeks. George Lloyd, the youngest boy, was discharged, and Samuel Lloyd was ordered to receive eight strokes with a birch rod.
7 June 1888 After his prison sentence Hope was readmitted to Saltley and it was determined that he would remain in the School until his sentence expired

5 November 1888 Medical officer reports: Slight colic

27 January 1889 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley

10 February 1891 The Reformatory Committee Log book report records receipt of a letter from Hope, Derby