Solomon William Banks - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1069 |
| Age: | 13 |
| Whence received: | Melton Mowbray Petty Sessions |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Sallow |
| Hair colour: | Dark |
| Eyes colour: | Light grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 5 ins |
| Particular marks: | 2 |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 2 May 1884 |
| Late residence: | Melton Mowbray Workhouse |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Union [Workhouse] boy. Has been in the habit of visiting shops and stealing therefrom |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly, Standard 4 |
| Writes: | Imperfectly, Standard 4 |
| Offence: | Larceny |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Deserted by father, mother supposed to be dead |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 24 April 1894; C W Chaplin; Melton Mowbray Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | Not |
| Sentence: | 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | None |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | Solomon Banks |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Mother's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Mother (supposedly) |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | - |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | - |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | F J Holdham, Clerk to the Magistrates, Melton Mowbray |
| Notes: | |
| 21 April 1894 The details of the crime were reported in the Leicester Chronicle Saturday 21 April 1894 p.2 col.4: DEPREDATIONS OF A WORKHOUSE LAD AT MELTON. A protracted and most remarkable series of thefts by a lad of 14 has just been revealed at Melton. The perpetrator, named Solomon Banks, has been nearly all his life an inmate of the Melton Workhouse, and for some eight years past has attended the Church National School, where he was in the sixth standard. Mr. Wood, a local confectioner, has for a considerable time missed goods from his shop, but had never till Thursday been able to catch the thief. On this day, however, he chanced to enter the shop during dinner, and saw the lad Banks going out through the door. Mr. Wood immediately followed, and having his suspicions strengthened by the bulky appearance of the lad's pockets, he caught and searched him, and brought to view quite a store of chocolates and other sweets. The matter was taken in hand by Mr. Hodgson, the schoolmaster, and on inquiries being made of the other boys, a score of them at once remembered having received from Banks, either as gifts or for small considerations, various articles of different values. The boys were sent home to fetch them, and brought back sweets, chocolates, pocket- knives, pocket-books, scent-bottles, gold pencil cases, comic papers, and various other things of more or less value. Most of the articles have since been identified by tradesmen of the town, amongst whom are Mr. J. W. Warner, stationer; Mr. Wood, confectioner; Mr. Towne, stationer; and Messrs. Whalley and Jenner, stationers. Many of the articles restored are said to have been missed as long ago as last Christmas. The plan generally adopted by the thief seems to have been to enter the shop with a half-penny when the shopkeeper might be at dinner, and then to help himself till he was waited upon, or if not disturbed to leave the shop without being seen. Banks would then offer the things for sale to his schoolmates, saying that he had met in the morning a gentleman, probably a Sunday-school teacher, who had given him a shilling for good behaviour. The lad ran away on his proceedings becoming known, but was after- wards caught and taken back to the Workhouse. He is believed to have parents living, but their whereabouts are not known. He was tried on Tuesday 24 April, and held at the Workhouse until 1 May, but the report of the trial in the Leicester Chronicle of 28 April 1894 p.6 col.8 omits to mention that he was sentenced to five years at a reformatory | |
| 3 March 1897 The Medical Officer reported: Tonsillitis | |
| 11 May 1898 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Banks was licensed to go out and work for Mr Collett, Bordesley Green, Birmingham | |
| 30 April 1899 Sentence expired whilst on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
| 12 April 1904 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Banks, Cork | |
