William Golby - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1050 |
| Age: | 15 (born 25 September 1878) |
| Whence received: | Burton on Trent |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fair |
| Hair colour: | Light |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Height: | 5 ft 4½ ins |
| Particular marks: | Scar over left ear; 2 anchors on right arm; 2 X marks on right arm; bracelet below and above on left arm |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 26 January 1894 |
| Late residence: | 63 Napier Street, Burton on Trent |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Bricklayer's labourer |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing a watch and chain |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 19 January 1894; A J Coxon and T Turner; Burton on Trent |
| Where imprisoned: | Burton on Trent Workhouse |
| Sentence: | 7 days in Workhouse, then Saltley until 19 years of age |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | 5s and costs or 7 days |
| For what: | Stealing lemons |
| Father's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Mother's name: | Mary Golby |
| Occupation: | Charwoman |
| Parents dead? | Father |
| Survivor married again? | No |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Good |
| Parents' wages: | Not stated |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Not assessed |
| Parents address: | 63 Napier Street, Burton on Trent |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | Henry Goodyer, Justices' Clerk, per J Johnson |
| Notes: | |
| 25 January 1894 There is a report of a previous offence in the Burton Chronicle Thursday 25 January 1894 p.7 col.1: THE SHOP ROBBERY BY BOYS. - Nine boys, Wm. Upton, Henry Dale, William Golby, William Sutton, Arnold Roe, Robert William Woodham, and William Dexter, of Napier Street, and Wm. McElligott, of Clarence Street, were charged with stealing nine lemons, valued at 9d. - The two first-named and McElligott were before the County Bench at a recent sitting on the charge of robbing Mr. G. Meakin's pheasantry. The prosecutor, Broome Johnson, keeps a small grocer's shop in Clarence Street, and his wife stated that on the evening of the 10th inst, she heard a slight noise on the outside of the window, and proceeding to ascertain the cause she saw three boys running away When she returned to the shop she missed nine lemons, and found that the glass had been broken at a spot where previously there was a very small aperture. - The matter was placed in the hands of the police and the boys were arrested by Police-constable Dunn, when they freely admitted their guilt. - McElligott, who is over sixteen years of age, was sentenced to a month's Imprisonment, an order was made for the detention of Upton and Dale in a reformatory - the former for four years and the latter for five, and the others were fined 5s. each. | |
| In the same newspaper, same page, immediately following the report of the prior offence, there is a report of the crime that sent him to Saltley: THEFT OF A WATCH AND CHAIN. - Wm. Golby, one of the prisoners in the previous case, was charged with stealing a watch and chain, valued at £3, the property of Samuel Taylor. - The prosecutor is a gardener, and resides in Wood Street. On the 12th inst. he was engaged in attending to his pigeons and fowls - of which he keeps a large collection - and on returning to the house he met the defendant, who was known to him, in the act of leaving. He asked him what he was doing in the place, as he had just cleaned it, but Golby made no reply, and shortly afterwards went away. In the evening the prosecutor missed his watch and chain from his bed-room, and Police-constable Farrell, who was made acquainted with the circumstances of the disappearance, arrested the prisoner, who, after first denying the theft, confessed his guilt, and pointed out a spot in the garden at the back of his house where, wrapped in a handkerchief, he had concealed the missing jewellery. - Prisoner, who is fifteen years of age, was committed to a reformatory. | |
| Between being convicted and going to Saltley there was a further adventure, as reported in the same newspaper p.5 col.3: The boys Upton, Dale, and Golby, who were remanded by the Borough magistrates to the workhouse pending their removal to a reformatory, they having been twice convicted of theft, shot the lock of the cell in which they were confined and escaped on Sunday. The police were immediately apprised of the occurrence by telephone, and Police-constables Dunn and Kent went in search of the recalcitrants. Dale was at home when one of the officers called at the house, and, scenting the object of the stranger's visit, hastily retreated, but was captured after a smart chase. The others were secured after a sprint or two over the potato field, in which, it will be remembered, they told the County Bench that they saw Mr. Meakin's pheasants hopping about. | |
| 31 October 1895 Discharged from Saltley by order of the Home Secretary, having enlisted in the 19th Yorkshire Regiment | |
| 10 December 1895 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Golby, 19th Yorkshire Regiment | |
| 24 April 1896 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Golby, Kildare, Ireland | |
| 8 December 1896 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Golby, Ireland | |
| 8 December 1896 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Golby, soldier, Dublin. (Likes soldiering. Home on furlough. Regiment stationed at Dublin. No bad record against him. Expects to go to India | |
| 27 April 1898 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Golby, Jamrud, India | |
