John Thomas Clarke - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 1121 |
| Age: | 13 (born 20 August 1882) |
| Whence received: | Cannock Petty Sessions |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fair |
| Hair colour: | Sandy |
| Eyes colour: | Blueish grey |
| Height: | 4 ft 6 ins |
| Particular marks: | Nil |
| State of health: | Rather weak |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 4 February 1896 |
| Late residence: | Queen Street, Chadsmoor, Cannock |
| Parish he belongs to: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Nil (an associate of bad characters and known thieves) |
| Whether illegitimate: | no |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly, Standard 1 |
| Writes: | Imperfectly, Standard 1 |
| Offence: | Stealing rabbit skins and rags |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Parental neglect |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 3 February 1896; Lord Hatherton and M Wolverson; Cannock Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | Not |
| Sentence: | 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 1 (27 January 1896, Penkridge Petty Sessions); |
| Length: | 6 strokes |
| For what: | Stealing boots |
| Father's name: | John Bates (step-father) |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Mother's name: | Sarah Bates (formerly Clarke) |
| Occupation: | Housewife |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | This boy is the son of John Clarke, who lives at The Terrace, Chadsmoor. The father is living with another woman, and the mother living with John Bates. There are 5 children, 4 of them live with Clarke and Mrs Clarke has 2 children by Bates |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Boy says good |
| Character of parents | Reported good |
| Parents' wages: | Average 12s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | Queen Street, Chadsmoor |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | John Simkin, Assistant Clerk |
| Notes: | |
| 1 February 1896 A previous offence was reported in the Cannock Chase Courier Saturday 1 February 1896 p.8 col.2: IN TEN MINUTES. John Clark, 13, residing with his parents, in Queen Street, High Town, was brought up in custody charged with stealing a pair of new boots from a stall in the Hednesford Market Hall, on Saturday evening. Alice Thompson had a stall at the Market Hall, and during the afternoon she saw the prisoner loitering near it. He went away and later on she noticed him again, and she then missed the boots which she valued at 3/6. P.s. Burgess was near the Railway Station on Saturday night, when he received information of the loss, and he at once proceeded to the establishment of Mr Vaughan, and there saw the boy in the act of wrapping up the boots in a piece of paper. Directly the lad saw him he ran into another room, having thrown the boots away. The Sergeant however, followed him, and when charged with stealing them he replied I never had them. P.c. Taylor corroborated the evidence of the Sergeant. He saw the boy throw the boots among some people In the shop and bolt through to another room when he saw the police. The boy, who was accompanied by his mother, now wept pretty freely; he had no questions to ask. He was guilty, and desired to have the case settled. P.S. Burgess explained that the lad had a stepfather who beat him. The Clerk explained that the lad could not be got to attend school. The mother said he had left school. The Clerk said he was being looked after by the School Board authorities. It appeared that he could read only a little and had not passed the standards. The Bench ordered the boy to receive six strokes of the birch to be administered by the strong arm of P.S. Burgess. | |
| 7 February 1896 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Lichfield Mercury Friday 7 February 1896 p.7 col.7: THEFT BY A BOY. - At the same Court, John Clarke (13), Queen Street, Chadsmoor, was charged with having stolen rabbit skins, rags and a bag of the value of 2s 1½d, the property of Arthur Morton, of the Cross Keys Farm. - Prosecutors wife stated that on January 29th defendant came to her with a bag and said he had some rags and skins to sell. She took him to a shed to weigh them but pulling out the skins recognised two as some she had bought the previous afternoon. She said "these belong to me; I can swear to them,'' and looking round the shed saw that about 20 skins which had been hanging on a line were gone. Prisoner looked up at the line and said "Yes, Mrs. Norton, the lines were filled when I came here last night." She then said she should send for a policeman, whereupon defendant ran away. Sarah Anston (12), John Street, Chadsmoor, spoke to selling one of the rabbit skins to the last witness. - P.C. Johnson said defendant was arrested by him and in reply to the charge said " Yes, I took the skins but I didn't have any money for them." - He now pleaded guilty and said he committed the theft because his father was going to hit him. - He was committed to a reformatory for three years. | |
| March 1896 The Medical Officer reported: Whitlow | |
| 18 January 1901 The Register of Boys on Licence records that Clark was licensed to go out and work for Mr Maddox, Storridge, Malvern | |
| 2 February 1901 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley | |
