Walter Langford - Saltley Reformatory Inmate
| No. in Admissions Register: | 586 |
| Age: | 11 |
| Whence received: | Birmingham Borough Prison |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | - |
| Hair colour: | - |
| Eyes colour: | - |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | - |
| Able-bodied? | - |
| Date of admission and term: | 13 November 1877 5 years |
| Late residence: | 240 Moseley Road |
| Parish he belongs to: | Birmingham |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Stone breaking |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Imperfectly |
| Writes: | Imperfectly |
| Offence: | Stealing 5 handkerchiefs |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | - |
| Date of sentence, by who and court: | 24 October 1877, Moor Street, T C S Kynnersley |
| Where imprisoned: | Birmingham |
| Sentence: | 21 days prison (hard labour), 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | - |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | John Langford |
| Occupation: | Porter |
| Mother's name: | Charlotte Langford |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | - |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Fair |
| Character of parents | Fair |
| Parents' wages: | Not known – mother keeps a greengrocery shop |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | - |
| Parents address: | 240 Moseley Road, Birmingham |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
Notes:
| 17 April 1881 Walter calls and says he is doing well. Is working for Mr Huskins, Heathmill Lane earning 7s 6d per week, 8s 6d when he works overtime |
| 2 June 1881 3 months imprisonment for being on premises for an unlawful purpose. There is a report in the Birmingham Mail Thursday 2 June 1881 p.3 col. 3: YOUNG OFFENDERS. - Alfred Attwood (14, ostler, 41 Barford Street; Walter Langford (17), brass polisher, 240, Moseley Street; and George Browett(12), screw turner, 4 court Moseley Street, were charged with being on new premises in Bradford Street, with intent to commit a felony. Browett was discharged; Attwood was sent to gaol for 21 days, afterwards to be detained in a reformatory for 5 years; and Langford was sent to prison for 3 months with hard labour. |
| 11 September 1881 Calls and says he is living at 1 court 2 house Moseley Street and works for Mr Price Old Meeting Street, Birmingham, as a painter |
| 9 October 1882 Released from gaol and returns October 31st on Incidental as no licence. There is a newspaper clipping attached to the Admissions Register relating to the offence which sent him to gaol from the Birmingham Mail Monday 9 January 1882 p.3 col.4: YOUNG THIEVES. George Browett (l3), no trade; Walter Langford (17), polisher; and Thomas Sennett (16), filer, were charged with stealing, on the 11th December last, a pair of scales, the goods of Mr. Shipway, of Barford Street. Browett pleaded guilty. On the night of the 11th December the attention of Police-constable Farr was attracted by the noise of breaking glass in a passage in Barford Street. He then noticed the prisoners and others rushing out of the passage along the street. Browett had the scales in his hand and threw them into a shop. The glass the constable heard breaking was a bottle containing sweets, which the boys had stolen from another shop. Langford and Sennett were found guilty, and sentenced to nine months and six months' imprisonment respectively ; Browett, whom the court thought had been urged on by his companions, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. |
| There is another, shorter clipping attached to the Admissions Register which relates to a crime committed after he had been discharged from Saltley, in an unidentified Birmingham newspaper. There is an identical report in the Birmingham Mail Wednesday 22 November 1882 p.3 col.4: STEALING POCKET-HANDKERCHIEFS. – Walter Langford (18), fruiterer, Moseley Street, was committed to the Sessions for stealing two pocket handkerchiefs, from outside the shop of Mr Cramp, draper, Macdonald Street. – Prisoner was seen by two boys to take the handkerchiefs and run away with them. He has been several times previously convicted, his last sentence being nine months’ imprisonment, which he only completed a few weeks ago |
