Saltley Reformatory School

[holidaybiker]

Dusty 2

Thank you so much, the info is more than I expected, unbelievable!
Thank you!

holidaybiker

[dusty2]

Here, at last, is the information for George Harrington:

Admitted: 2 Nov 1863 from Warwick Gaol

Description: 4ft 6in tall; [figure - can't read]; dark complexion; brown hair; dark eyes, sound vision; sound intellect; use of all limbs; has had cowpox; end of left fore-finger contracted; good health, able bodies, not scrofulous, consumptive, or subject to fits

Age: 14

Residence: Darley's Yard, Gooch Street, Birmingham

Education: reads little, cannot write

Sentence: 14 days in prison then 5 years in Reformatory

Date of sentence: 20 Oct 1863 at Warwick Quarter Sessions

Previous convictions: 1859 one day and whipped for stealing money

Father: Francis Harrington, shoemaker, of Darley's Yard, Gooch Street, Birmingham

Mother: [not named]

Additional info: 7 Jun 1866 emigrated to Canada

Aug 1867 Heard from of(?) Richmond Junction, Canada, doing well
Nov 1869 ditto
Jan 1871(?) ditto
Apr 1875 Heard from Valley Field Paper Mill, Canada, P.Q.

Also, there is a brief report in the Coventry Herald 23 Oct 1863 p.4 col.3 of his trial, which reads:

Two young lads named George Harrington and Edward Johnson, for having, at Aston, on August 6th, having broken into a certain building in the occupation of George Holloway, and stolen therefrom a candlestick and a saucepan, were sentenced each to 14 days imprisonment with hard labour, and ordered to be sent at the expiration of that term, the former to a reformatory school at Saltley, and the latter to that at Weston, for five years.

[alblol]

dusty2  I apologize for only replying now.  I have not been on the board and only just saw your reply with the information.  I can't thank you enough for the work and information you have done for me and so many others. 

[debbiebozkurt]

Hi

I am a bit late for this post but I was searching around trying to find information on why Leonard Adams from Wolverhampton was in Saltley Reformatory School on the 1891 census aged about 13. Tried looking him up in the British Newspaper Archives and couldn't find him or on an criminal records. Have you transcribed or published the records for that time period, would be very grateful for a look up.

Thanks

[dusty2]

OK this should give you what you want

Leonard Adams, admitted from Stafford Prison on 29 August 1889

Description: fresh complexion; dark hair; hazel eyes; height 4 ft 4 and a quarter ins tall; [difficult to read this bit] brown mark upon .... of right(?) .... hand(?) back of upper right arm; good health; able bodied

Residence: 17 East Street, Wolverhampton

Parish to which he belongs: Wolverhampton

Work: none; has attended school

Illegitimate? : no

Can read and write: reads imperfectly IV (?) standard; writes imperfectly IV standard

Offence: stealing a pair of boots from a shop

Probable circumstances that led to it: should say that the boy is naturally vicious

Date of sentence, before whom and court: 30 July 1889 before S. Dickason (?) and P. Housman Esqs at Boro of Wolverhampton [police court]

Where imprisoned: Her Majesties Prison Stafford

Sentence: prison for 1 calendar month with hard labour and 5 years in the Reformatory

Previous convictio0ns: 1 - I day and 6 strokes of the cane for stealing a cloth cap

Parents: Alfred Adams, kettle maker; Bessy Adams (step mother)

One or both parents dead? : mother

Survivor remarried? : Yes

Treatment of child by parents: boy says good in each case

Wages earned by parents: father earns 17s per week

Amount parents engage to pay: not reported

Address of parents: 17 East Street, Wolverhampton

I don't think any of the Wolverhampton papers are in the British Newspaper Archive yet, but there is a brief report in the Birmingham Daily Post for Wednesday 31 July 1889, p.7 column 4, which reads:

THEFT FROM A SHOP - At the Police Court, yesterday, Leonard Adams, 14, of 78 Temple Street, Robert Howard, 11, of 24 Church Lane, Robert Knight, 13, of 20 Great Compton Street, and Thomas Owen, 11, of 4 court Middle Row, were charged with stealing a pair of boots from the shop door of Mrs Tyler, bootmaker, Victoria Street. - Adams was sent to prison for a month, and then to be detained at a reformatory for five years, and the other three were ordered to receive six strokes with the birch rod. All had been attending the Day Industrial School.
Despite the discrepancy in age and address I have no doubt this is the right person. Families moved often in those days, and his parents may have moved between the original sentence and his arrival at the Reformatory.

Hope this helps

[debbiebozkurt]

Thanks that is excellent, what great information. Leonard didn't do bad, came out and got a job married young, didn't appear to get into further trouble had a number of children so perhaps the system worked!

Debs

[josal]

Dear Dusty 2   I wonder if I could impose on your kindness... I'm looking for Saltley admission information on my nan's cousin Thomas HOWES b. 1888 Stone in Staffordshire who was an inmate of Saltley Reformatory on the 1901 census  -  in 1904 he was sent to Quebec, Canada with a group of 16 other boys... I don't have any further information until he enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force at the outbreak of WW1 and unfortunately deserted. Would be very grateful for any other details. TIA  -  Joan

[dusty2]

Sorry for the delay - have been away. Here is the information:

Thomas HOWSE [that's how it's spelled in the admissions register] born 24 January 1888 age 12
Received: Stone Petty Sessions
Description: fresh complexion; brown hair; brown eyes; 4 feet 6 and a half inches tall; pug nose; good health; able-bodied
Date of reception and length of term: 1 Feb 1900; 5 years from 31 Jan
Residence: 140 Church Street, Stone, Staffordshire
Work: schoolboy
Illegitimate? No
Education: can read and write imperfectly (standard 2)
Offence: larceny of a dress value 30 shillings
Circumstances which led to it: drunken, worthless parents
Date of sentence: 31 January 1900 at Stone  Petty Sessions by W. Thompson & J. Harding Esqs.
Sentence: 5 years detention
Previous convictions: one, 23 Dec 1899. birched for stealing a watch
Parents: William (farm labourer) and Alice (housewife) HOWSE
Parental treatment of child: not good
Character  of parents: bad
Person making this return: W. Thompson

Hope this heps
 

[josal]

Many thanks to Dusty 2 for this information  -  so sorry for delay as I have only just seen your reply.  Makes sad reading but does answer quite a few questions regarding Thomas Howes circumstances.  Thanks again  - regards, Joan.