Saltley Reformatory

Joseph William John Harris - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	1283
Age:	9 (born 25 July 1892)
Whence received:	Poole Petty Sessions
Description:
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Sky blue
Height:	4 ft 2¼ ins
Particular marks:	Large birth mark left side of forehead
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	28 September 1901
Late residence:	-
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	Schoolboy. Detected many times in petty thefts but no proceedings taken
Whether illegitimate:	No
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all (preparatory)
Writes:	Not at all (preparatory)
Offence:	Larceny
Circumstances which may have led to it:	No control by parents, said to be utterly incorrigible
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	19 September 1901; G Curtins and others; Poole Petty Sessions
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	4 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	1 (1 August 1901)
Length:	Birched
For what:	Larceny
Father's name:	Arthur Witt (step-father)
Occupation:	Labourer
Mother's name:	Jane Witt
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	Neither
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Very good
Character of parents	Very good
Parents' wages:	Not stated
Amount parents agree to pay:	To be assessed
Parents address:	As above [but no address recorded for the boy]
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Superintendent of Police, Poole, Dorset
Person making this return:	L Woodford

Notes:

28 September 1901 The crime that sent him to Saltley was briefly reported in the Southern Times and Dorset County Herald Saturday 28 September 1901 p.6 col.2: A BAD BOY. - Joseph Harris, a boy of nine years of age, of Dear Hay-lane. was chased with an overcoat. the property or Harold Rosenthal. another lad, from the lobby of the. National Schools, on Sept 16th. Harris took the coat home and told his mother he had picked it up in the street. As the lad received a bad character, it was decided to send him to a reformatory for four years.

26 July 1905 The Incidental Returns Book reports that Harris was licensed to go out and work for Mr J C Brown, Manor Farm, Bredon Norton, Worcestershire

18 September 1905 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley

No. in Admissions Register:	349
Date of admission:	9 February 1867
Whence received:	Stafford
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Brown
Perfect vision?	-
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Sound intellect?	Yes
Use of all limbs?	Yes
Had cow or small pox?	No
Particular marks:	-
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	Not apparent
Subject to fits?	-
Age last birthday:	14
Illegitimate?	-
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Wolverhampton
Parish he belongs to:	Lichfield
Customary work and mode of life:	Grocer's porter
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Well
Writes:	Well
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Stealing one sovereign
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Not known
Date of sentence:	9 January 1867
Where convicted:	Wolverhampton before I Spooner
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	1 month prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	None
Father's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Mother's name:	Rosa Haines
Occupation:	Needlewoman
Residence:	Bird Street, Lichfield
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	Bad – is cohabiting with one Enoch White, collier, Pelsall
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	No
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Good but in poor circumstances
Parents' wages:	No certain earnings
Amount parents agree to pay:	Nothing
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	Captain Segrave, Wolverhampton
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	-
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	-

Notes:

12 January 1867 There is a brief report of the crime in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 12 January 1867 p.5 col.3: THEFT BY A BOY.- John Ashton, of Cheslyn Hay. aged 13. was sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment, and ordered after the expiration of that sentence to be sent to a reformatory school for four years, for stealing from the dwelling-house of James Bird, at Cheslyn Hay on the 31st December, half a pound of butter, a piece of bread, and an apple pudding.

George Harrington - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	265
Date of admission:	2 November 1863
Whence received:	Warwick Gaol
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	4 ft 6 in
Figure:	Proportionate
Complexion:	Dark
Hair colour:	Brown
Eyes colour:	Dark
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:	End of left forefinger contracted
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	No
Age last birthday:	14
Illegitimate?	-
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Darby's Yard, Gooch Street, Birmingham
Parish he belongs to:	-
Customary work and mode of life:	-
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	A little
Writes:	None
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	House breaking
Circumstances which may have led to it:	-
Date of sentence:	20 October 1863
Where convicted:	Warwick Quarter Sessions
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	-
Sentence:	14 days prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	Stealing money (1859, 1 day and whipped)
Father's name:	Francis Harrington
Occupation:	Shoemaker
Residence:	Darby's Yard, Gooch Street, Birmingham
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Father's character:	-
Mother's character:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	-
Character of parents	-
Parents' wages:	-
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
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:	7 Jan 1866 - Emigrated to Canada

Notes:

22 October 1863 There is a report of the offence in the Birmingham Daily Gazette Thursday 22 October 1863 p.7 col.3: George Harrington, 14, and Edward Johnson, 14, pleaded guilty to breaking into the house of George Holloway, at Aston, on the 20th of August last, and stealing a candlestick and saucepan. The prisoners were each sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment in the gaol, and at the expiration of that term, Harrington to be sent to the Saltley Reformatory, and Johnson to the one at Weston,

7 January 1866 Emigrated to Canada

August 1867 Heard of and from him, Richmond Junction, Canada. Doing well

November 1869 Heard of and from him. Doing well

January 1870 Heard of and from him. Doing well

April 1875 Heard from him, Valley Fields Paper Mill, Canada, P Q [Province of Quebec]

William Rhodes - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	224
Date of admission:	20 August 1861
Whence received:	Stafford Gaol
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	Fresh
Hair colour:	Sandy
Eyes colour:	Hazel
Perfect vision?	Yes
State of health:	-
Able-bodied?	-
Sound intellect?	Yes
Use of all limbs?	Yes
Had cow or small pox?	-
Particular marks:	Scars on forehead
Cutaneous disorder?	No
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	No
Age last birthday:	9
Illegitimate?	-
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Wednesbury
Parish he belongs to:	Tipton
Customary work and mode of life:	-
Schools attended:	None
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all
Writes:	Not at all
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Vagrancy
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Poverty
Date of sentence:	6 August 1861
Where convicted:	Rushall Petty Sessions, J E Bealey and J Harrison
Who prosecuted:	-
Where imprisoned:	Stafford
Sentence:	14 days prison, 5 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	Twice locked up for vagrancy
Father's name:	James Gretton
Occupation:	Shoemaker
Residence:	Trowes Lane, Wednesbury [Trouse Lane]
Mother's name:	Ann Gretton
Occupation:	-
Residence:	Trowes Lane, Wednesbury [Trouse Lane]
Father's character:	Nothing known
Mother's character:	The boy is her illegitimate son
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Good
Character of parents	Nothing known against them. Husband has bad health
Parents' wages:	Earns 14s per week
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	W Price, Superintendent of Police, Rushall
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	-

Notes:

10 August 1861 There is a report of the offence in the Walsall Free Press and General Advertiser Saturday 10 august 1861 p.4 cols.4-5: A DIMINUTIVE VAGRANT PROVIDED FOR. -William Roads [surname spelled thus], a diminutive child, eight or nine years of age; with an intelligent and expressive countenance, was charged with vagrancy. This case had been remanded at the last sitting of this court. A police-ofiicer deposed that he had been sent for, between nine and ten o'clock on the night of the 12th of July, to remove the prisoner from Messrs. Jcberns and Arrowsmith's brick-yard, in the parish of Aldridge, where he had been sleeping (the witness was told) for two or three nights. He found him sleeping in one of the brick-yard cabins He told witnesi that his father and mother had left him, and he had no place to go to. Mr. Price informed the bench that the boy's mother had been found. Aid that she had promised to attend that morning. She was not, however, in court. The Bench considered this to be case in which a sentence to a term of confinement, in a criminal reformatory, would be of the greatest benefit to the prisoner, and he was therefore sentenced to be imprisoned for fourteen days, and afterwards to be sent to a reformatory for three years.

7 September 1861 There is a report of a summons of his parents for non-payment of maintenance for the boy in the Walsall Free Press and General Advertiser Saturday 7 September 1861 p.4 col.7: PAYMENT TO A REFORMATORY.- The parents of a little boy, of Aldridge, named William Road, sometime ago sentenced from this court to be kept at Saltley Reformatory for a period of five years, were summoned before the magistrates today, in order that arrangements might be made as to the sum which they should pay to the reformatory weekly for the maintenance of the child. Considerable reluctance to pay anything whatever was manifested by the parents, but the court finally ordered them to pay 1s. weekly, the payments to be made to the inspector of police at Wednesbury, where the parties are at present residing.

1 June 1866 Licensed

January 1868 Working in Birmingham. Doing well.

Charles Stainton - Saltley Reformatory Inmate

No. in Admissions Register:	772
Age:	11
Whence received:	H M Prison Hull
Description:
Complexion:	Fair
Hair colour:	Light brown
Eyes colour:	Blue
Visage:	Oval
Particular marks:	-
State of health:	Good
Able-bodied?	Yes
Date of admission:	5 June 1885
Late residence:	Bramley Lane, Barrow on Humber, Yorkshire
Parish he belongs to:	Barrow on Humber
Customary work and mode of life:	No work
Whether illegitimate:	Yes
State of education:
Reads:	Imperfectly
Writes:	Imperfectly
Offence:	Stealing 9s 4d
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Neglected by his mother
Date of sentence, by whom and court:	25 May 1885; G C Appleby and T Tomlinson; Barrow on Humber
Where imprisoned:	H M Prison Hull
Sentence:	10 days in prison, 2 years at Saltley
Previous committals:
Number:	-
Length:	-
For what:	-
Father's name:	Boy is illegitimate
Occupation:	-
Mother's name:	-
Occupation:	-
Parents dead?	-
Survivor married again?	-
Parents' treatment of child:	Mother has perhaps been too kind
Character of parents	-
Parents' wages:	-
Amount parents agree to pay:	-
Parents address:	Barrow on Humber
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	-
Person making this return:	Governor of H M Prison Hull

Notes:

31 March 1887 Licensed to work for Mr W Sargeant, Barrow-on-Humber, Lincolnshire

6 June 1887 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley whilst out on licence

11 December 1888 The Reformatory Committee Log book report records receipt of a letter from Stainton, Barrow Haven, Lincolnshire