Albert James Norton 1911 prison record

[bethanyyd96]

Can someone look up a record for Albert James Norton, born 1882 Hereford, at Wakefield Prison. He was there as an inmate in 1911 census. I would like to know what he was sentenced for etc.

Thanks

[rosie99]

Have you tried newspapers, they are often the best source of that sort of information

[JenB]

If you have access to newspapers either via BNA or Findmypast, there are articles about the court case on page 8 of the Todmorden & District News of 3 February 1911 and page 8 of the same newspaper 3 March 1911.

If not I will attempt to summarise them for you.

[Pennines]

Just in case you don't know -- and for possible future reference - the prison records for West Yorkshire are on Ancestry -- just enter 'West Yorkshire' in the search screen of the Card Catalogue -- and pan down all the results until you come to them.

Having said that -- in this particular case the detail is very brief and you are much better off looking in the Newspaper, as recommended by Rosie and identified exactly by JenB.

[bethanyyd96]

Thank you for the replies. No I don't have access to either websites and it would be great if JenB or anyone else could give me the details please.

[JenB]

The report 3rd February 1911 is headed 'Husbands Heartless Desertion'.

The essence of it is that Albert had been in the Militia and had left the district on 1st July 1908 for training. He should have returned home by the end of the month. Instead of which he 'absconded' sending his wife a sovereign. His wife gave birth to their third child eight weeks after he disappeared. She and the three children were granted poor relief.
Albert returned in February 1911. He claimed to have been searching for work during his absence.
He was now living with his family and undertook to repay 2s a week to pay off his arrears.

He was given one month to see 'how he went on'. If things did not improve he would be brought before the Bench again.

The report 3rd March 1911 briefly summarised the case outlined above and then stated that he 'did not seem to have made any attempt to discharge his obligations and he would be sentenced to two months hard labour'.

[JenB]

If I have the right person, subsequent articles in the same newspaper relate to his service in the Great War and his death (exact date unknown).

[Pennines]

The prison record is brief;

Sentenced on 2 March 1911 - Reason 'Neglect of Family (Union). (Although in all honesty -- from the newspaper reports and the timing of the Court Case -- it sounds like it was more due to him NOT paying the 2 shillings per week he had promised in repayment of the Poor Relief paid to his wife and family during the time he went missing!)

Religion C of E
Birth Place -- looks like Hanford.
Description 5ft 41/2 ins, Hair D.Brown.
Sentence 2months - due for release on 1 May 1911 - but he must have been a good boy and got remission -- being released on 22 April 1911.

Ironically, therefore he was only in prison for a few  weeks, over dates which bridged the 1911 census - otherwise you would never have known!!

[bethanyyd96]

Thank you JenB! - it seems like you've got the right person. Their third child was born 4 Aug 1908, which fits in with the report you kindly gave.