Thomas Rooke - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1073 |
| Age: | 11 (born 26 December 1882) |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Birmingham |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Light brown |
| Eyes colour: | Brown |
| Height: | 4 ft 1½ ins |
| Particular marks: | 7 vacc. marks left arm |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 7 July 1894 |
| Late residence: | 17 court 8 house Park Lane, Aston |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | - |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Offence: | Stealing a tame fowl |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 27 June 1894; R S Yates and R Peyton; Aston Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Birmingham |
| Sentence: | 12 days hard labour in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 |
| Length: | 1 day and 6 strokes |
| For what: | Stealing a mail cart |
| Father's name: | James Rooke |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Mother's name: | Mary Rooke |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | - |
| Character of parents | Unknown |
| Parents' wages: | - |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | - |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | |
| Person making this return: | R Peyton |
| Notes: | |
| 28 June 1894 There was a report of the crime in the Warwickshire Herald Thursday 28 June 1894 p.5 col.5: THEFT OF A FOWL. Thomas Rooke (11), and James Rooke (8), school boys, 32 court, 5 house, Park Lane, were charged with stealing from the premise 6, Sutton Street, on the 22nd inst., one live fowl, value 2s., the property of John P. Rothwell, veterinary surgeon. Thomas Rothwell, son of the prosecutor, spoke to finding the prisoners in the fowl house about seven o'clock on the date in question, and one of the fowls dead. Prisoners had a large stick.-Stanley Spencer Reddy, 4, Sutton Street, corroborated, and said he caught the prisoner Thomas Rooke and handed him over to the police.- Police-constable Jas. Painting said the last witness gave the prisoner Thomas Rooke into his custody at Aston Cross about 7 pm., on the 22nd inst. Witness went to the prosecutor's house and found a dead fowl in the yard. In reply to the charge Thomas said James asked him to come in and get an egg. James had been there before. James hit the fowl on the head and killed it. James said, "You hit the fowl as well as me. You hit it four times on the head with the stick, and then I hit it twice." Thomas said, "Yes, I did." On searching Thomas witness found on him a small, dark lantern, two candles, a box of matches, and some cigarettes, Witness asked him what he was going to do with the lantern, and he said he was going to act the policeman. - James said Thomas kept striking the fowl till it was dead, and then he jumped on it. - Questioned as to where he got the dark lantern Thomas said he got it from James, who said he took it from a brewhouse in Sutton Street. [In Birmingham a brewhouse was a small building containing a large bowl over a fireplace, often used for washing] - Thomas was sentenced to 10 days' imprisonment and five years in a reformatory and James was remanded till Friday. | |
| 6 July 1899 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley | |