Samuel George Rowley - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 808 |
| Age: | 11 |
| Whence received: | H M Prison Birmingham |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Blue |
| Height: | - |
| Particular marks: | Mole right side of neck |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission: | 22 April 1886 |
| Late residence: | 1 Great Bridge Street, West Bromwich |
| Parish he belongs to: | West Bromwich |
| Customary work and mode of life: | None |
| Whether illegitimate: | No |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 1 pair of clogs, 2 aprons, and 1 chemise value 5s 6d |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 23 March 1886; R Farley and Richard Williams; Wednesbury Police Court |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison Birmingham |
| Sentence: | 1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | 2 |
| Length: | 1) Remanded and birch (Brierley Hill); 2) 10 strokes birch rod (West Bromwich) |
| For what: | 1) Sleeping out; 2) stealing currant cake |
| Father's name: | Charles Rowley |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Mother's name: | Elizabeth Rowley |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Fairly good |
| Character of parents | Respectable |
| Parents' wages: | Father earns 25s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Not assessed |
| Parents address: | 1 Great Bridge Street, West Bromwich |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Superintendent Whitehead, County Police, West Bromwich |
| Person making this return: | N Elliott, H M Prison Birmingham |
| Notes: | |
| 16 January 1886 A previous offence was reported in the Country Advertiser and Herald for Staffordshire and Worcestershire Saturday 16 January 1886 p.6 col.2: A YOUTHFUL VAGRANT - Samuel Rowley (11), Great Bridge-street, West Bromwich, was charged with vagrancy. - A police officer found defendant sleeping near a big fire, at Sully's works, Tipton. The boy's mother now stated that she could not do anything with him, and that on one occasion he had been nearly frozen. The Bench cautioned defendant, and discharged him. | |
| 30 April 1889 The Register of Boys on Licence reports that Rowley has been licensed to go out and work for Mr Caddick, West Bromwich [the Reformatory Committee Log Book has the employer's location as Oldbury] | |
| 10 December 1889 The Reformatory Committee Log Book report records that Rowley, although licensed to be out for work, is absent from work, but that he will be brought back to the School as soon as his whereabouts are ascertained | |
| 30 July 1890 The Log Book report states: On the 30th July Samuel Rowley, one of the boys sleeping in No.1 Dormitory, by means of an old stump of a knife which he managed to convey to his bedroom, removed the bars from one of the windows, and in company with 11 others lowered themselves to the ground by means of sheets. More boys would have undoubtedly gone had not the Schoolmaster heard the noise and appeared in time to prevent them. Nine of the twelve were back again in a few hours, the other thre having evaded all pursuit... The four ringleaders have been severely punished. | |
| 21 April 1891 Sentence expired, discharged from Saltley and emigrated to Canada | |
| 9 February 1892 The Reformatory Committee Log Book records receipt of a letter from Rowley, via Mr Gold | |
| 9 August 1898 The Log Book report records receipt of a letter from Rowley, Manitoba | |