George Kempson - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 779 |
| Age: | 14 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Sandy |
| Eyes colour: | Hazel |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | A burn mark, back of neck |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Slender |
| Date of admission: | 21 September 1885 |
| Late residence: | 58 Stewart Street, Wolverhampton |
| Parish he belongs to: | Wolverhampton |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Locksmith |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | - |
| Offence: | Stealing brass |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 21 August 1885; N E A Neville; Wolverhampton Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | - |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | John Kempson |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Mary Kempson |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Mother, died of consumption |
| Survivor married again? | Not known |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Was kindly treated |
| Character of parents | Honest, sober, and industrious |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | Father has absconded. Not known. The boy was an apprentice, and stole some brasses from his master, broke them up, and sold them. He had been brought up in the workhouse, having no parents or friends. ['friends' here means a responsible adult willing to take him in] |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 21 August 1885 The crime was reported in the Wolverhampton Express and Star Friday 21 August 1885 p.3 col,4: THEFT BY AN APPRENTICE. Before the Deputy Stipendiary (N. C. A. Neville, Esq.) George Kempson (14), who had been brought up in the Wolverhampton Workhouse and apprenticed to Mr. A. J. Hope, lock-maker, of Stewart-street, with whom he lived, was charged with stealing brass belonging to his master. - Mr. R. A. Willcock prosecuted. - The brass was missed on July 23rd, and the prisoner was found to have offered some for sale to a Mr. Evans, in School-street. Mr. Evans suspected that the brass was stolen, and gave information to the police, with the result that the defendant was apprehended. - Defendant was sent to prison for a month, and ordered afterwards to be detained in a Reformatory for five years. | |
| 20 November 1885 Medical officer reports: Vaccinated successfully | |
| 29 March 1888 Formally discharged from Saltley by order of the Home Secretary, on account of emigrating to Canada along with Lines [boy 768] and Haddleton [boy 788] | |
| 5 April 1888 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Kempson, on board ship at London | |
| 12 June 1888 The Log Book report records receipt of another letter from Kempson, Halifax, Canada | |
| 14 August 1888 The Log book report records receipt of a letter from Kempson Ottawa, Ontario | |
| 19 August 1890 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Kempson, Ottawa, Canada | |
| 14 April 1891 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Kempson, Ottawa, Ontario | |
John Parker - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1036 |
| Age: | 15 (born 15 September 1877) |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Blue |
| Height: | 4 ft 11½ ins |
| Particular marks: | Cut mark back of left hand, large mark on right forearm, cut right side of forehead, 2 moles on left shoulder |
| State of health: | - |
| Able-bodied? | - |
| Date of admission: | 28 August 1893 |
| Late residence: | Spring Vale Street, Willenhall |
| Parish he belongs to: | Willenhall |
| Customary work and mode of life: | See below |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly, Standard 2 |
| Writes: | Imperfectly, Standard 2 |
| Offence: | Rogue and vagabond |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Parents have been unable to control him. He has frequently stayed away from home all night and will not work for anyone more than a few days at a time (Police Report). |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 14 August 1893; John T Sartill; Willenhall |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Stafford |
| Sentence: | 14 days in prison, 3 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 2 |
| Length: | 1) (9 January 1893) 7 days; 2) (16 January 1893) Fined 10s and costs |
| For what: | 1) Rogue and vagabond; 2) stealing porter |
| Father's name: | Simeon Parker |
| Occupation: | Puddler |
| Mother's name: | Isabella Parker |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Not good |
| Character of parents | Drunken |
| Parents' wages: | About 25s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | Spring Vale Street, Willenhall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 18 December 1894 The Medical Officer reported: Influenza, better the next day | |
| 7 April 1896 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Parker was licensed to go out and work for Mr Charles, Great Wacton Farm, Bromyard | |
| 27 August 1896 Sentence expired whilst on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
Ralph Rowley - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1290 |
| Age: | 14 (born 14 May 1887) |
| Whence received: | Staffordshire Adjourned Petty Sessions |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Light brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey mottled |
| Height: | 4 ft 11¼ ins |
| Particular marks: | Index finger left hand crushed |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 5 December 1901 |
| Late residence: | 12 Worthington Street, Tunstall |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Nil. A thief and one of a band |
| Whether illegitimate: | Yes |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly, Standard 3 |
| Writes: | Imperfectly, Standard 3 |
| Offence: | House breaking in company with a gang of thieves |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Lack of parental control |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 27 November 1901; Lord Hatherton; Staffordshire adjourned Quarter Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | Not, but detained in Stafford Gaol |
| Sentence: | Detained at Saltley until 19 years of age |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 4 |
| Length: | 1) birched 6 strokes; 2) birched 12 strokes; 3) birched 12 strokes; 4) fined 10s and costs |
| For what: | 1) Larceny; 2) stealing a purse and 12s 3d; 3) warehouse breaking; 4) larceny; once Education Act [this last written beneath the list of 4 previous offences - perhaps relating to truancy?] |
| Father's name: | John Colclough |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Mary Ellen Colclough nee Rowley |
| Occupation: | - |
| 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: | 12 Worthington Street, Tunstall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Superintendent Dodd, Tunstall |
| Person making this return: | J Dodd |
| Notes: | |
| 2 November 1901 The remand hearing for the crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 2 November 1901 p.2 col.6: CHARGE OF HOUSEBREAKING. - Enoch Hadgett, collier, Copley-street, Tunstall; Samuel Carter, labourer, Watergate-street; and Ralph Rowley, labourer, Wellington-street, were charged on remand with breaking into the dwelling-house of the Revds. H. P. Barchard and J. A. Nash,. at 12, King-street, on October 24th, and stealing £4 13s, 9d., a silver cigarette case, a pair of opera-glasses, a silver match-box, a gold medal, two razors, two pipes, a silver knife, and a pair of shoes, belonging to the gentlemen named. - Ennanuel Gallimore, carter, Kilncroft, Burslem, and Alfred Hadgett, carter, Copley-street, Tunstall, were charged with receiving certain of the articles knowing them to have been stolen. - At five o'clock on the afternoon in question the house was locked up safety, but at about nine o'clock, on the return of Mr. Barchard, he found the house had been broken into by way of the scullery window. - Elizabeth Hadgett, daughter of Alfred and sister of Enoch Hadgett, said that on the night in question her brother, with Carter and Rowley, came running Into the house without their boots, saying they had been in a house in King-street. At her brother's request she gave some of the stolen articles to Gallimore, a checker at the Burslem Theatre, saying she had found them. - Further evidence showed that the prisoner Alfred Hadgett sold a pair of opera-glasses to a labourer named Allcock for 1s. 6d., saying that he found them on Goldenhill Bank. - The prisoners were committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions. | |
| 17 May 1904 Discharged from Saltley by Order of the Home Secretary, on account of enlisting in the Worcestershire Regiment | |
| No. in Admissions Register: | 444 |
| Age: | 11 |
| Whence received: | Stafford Gaol |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission and term: | 15 May 1871 5 years |
| Late residence: | Darlaston |
| Parish he belongs to: | Darlaston |
| Customary work and mode of life: | No work |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 20s |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by who and court: | 14 April 1871, Bilston Petty Sessions, J Perks and W Hatton |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month prison (hard labour), 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | None, but several charges |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | Joseph Bailey |
| Occupation: | Shoemaker |
| Mother's name: | Sarah |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Honest, sober, good health |
| Parents' wages: | 15s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | 1s 6d |
| Parents address: | Bell Street, Darlaston |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Hugh McCrea, Bilston |
| Person making this return: | - |
| Notes: | |
| 4 April 1876 Licensed to work with his father | |
John Haslam - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 361 |
| Date of admission: | 27 August 1867 |
| Whence received: | Stafford Gaol |
| By whom brought: | - |
| On what terms: | - |
| Friends interested in him: | - |
| Description: | |
| Height: | - |
| Figure: | - |
| Complexion: | Sallow |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| 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: | 14 |
| Illegitimate? | No |
| Birthday: | - |
| Birth place: | - |
| Has resided: | West Bromwich |
| Parish he belongs to: | Pelsall |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Working in a forge |
| Schools attended: | - |
| By whom and where employed: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Cyphers: | - |
| General ability: | - |
| Offence: | Stealing 13s |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence: | 17 July 1867 |
| Where convicted: | West Bromwich |
| Who prosecuted: | - |
| Where imprisoned: | - |
| Sentence: | 1 month prison, 4 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals and convictions: | Stealing money (7 days) |
| Father's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Residence: | - |
| Mother's name: | Ann Haslam |
| Occupation: | None |
| Residence: | Golds Green, West Bromwich |
| Father's character: | - |
| Mother's character: | - |
| Parents dead? | Father |
| Survivor married again? | Not |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Honest and sober. Health not good |
| Parents' wages: | None - pauper |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | None |
| 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: | - |
Notes:
| 23 August 1869 Absconded |
| 26 August 1869 Fetched back from Burton on Trent |
| 28 August 1869 There is a short report about the return in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 28 August 1869 p.7 col.3: DESERTERS.- Mark Comery, of Castle Gresley (committed by the Burton Bench for stealing spirits belonging to his master, about twelve months ago), and John Haslam, 16, of Gould's Green, West Bromwich. were brought up as runaways from the Saltley Reformatory. They escaped on Monday, came to Burton, and gave themselves up to the police this morning. They were ordered to be taken back to the Reformatory. |