| No. in Admissions Register: | 166 |
| Date of admission: | 12 March 1860 |
| Whence received: | Birmingham Gaol |
| By whom brought: | A warder |
| On what terms: | - |
| Friends interested in him: | |
| Description: | |
| Height: | - |
| Figure: | Rather slight |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Perfect vision? | Yes |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Sound intellect? | Yes |
| Use of all limbs? | Yes |
| Had cow or small pox? | Yes |
| Particular marks: | Scars on body |
| Cutaneous disorder? | No |
| Scrofulous or consumptive? | No |
| Subject to fits? | No |
| Age last birthday: | 12 |
| Illegitimate? | No |
| Birthday: | - |
| Birth place: | - |
| Has resided: | Farm Street, Birminghamn |
| Parish to which he belongs: | - |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Brass casting |
| Schools attended: | Old Asylum Sunday School |
| By whom and where employed: | Mr Savage, Summer Lane |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Cyphers: | None |
| General ability: | - |
| Offence: | Robbing a till |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Bad company |
| Date of sentence: | 28 February 1860 |
| Where convicted: | Moor Street |
| Where imprisoned: | Borough Gaol |
| Sentence: | 14 days prison, 5 years detention at Saltley |
| Previous committals and convictions: | None |
| Father's name: | James Bowen |
| Occupation: | Pencil case maker or gun implement maker |
| Residence: | Farm Street, Birmingham |
| Mother's name: | - Bowen (stepmother) |
| Occupation: | Stay maker |
| Residence: | Farm Street, Birmingham |
| Father's character: | - |
| Mother's character: | - |
| Parents dead? | Mother |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | The father seems to have treated him kindly, but the boy says his stepmother ill-used him and the father confirms this |
| Character of parents | Drunkards |
| Parents' wages: | The father, a gun implement maker, |
| Amount parents agree tp pay: | Ordered to pay 2s per week |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Mr Glossop, police officer, Birmingham |
| Relatives to communicate with: | - |
| Person making this return: | T C S Kynnersley, Esq. |
| Estimate of character on admission: | - |
| Character on discharge: | - |
| When and how left the Reformatory: |
29 February 1860 There is a report of his crime in the Birmingham Daily Post Wednesday 29 February 1860 p.3 col.3: A Young Incorrigible.- A little lad, twelve years of age, named Bowen, or, as he said, George Johnson, was proved to have sneaked into the shop of Miss Reay, corn, flour, and seed dealer, Newtown Row, and robbed the till of 1s. and ¾d. From the testimony of Miss Reay the offence was clearly proved, as this young lady caught the young rogue behind the counter, with the money in his possession. This was the second time he had been found in a like situation. Then he managed to make his escape. Sergeant Johnson, who took the prisoner into custody, gave a melancholy account of the prisoner's habits and antecedents. While on his way to the station at least twenty young thieves congregated and followed, certainly at a respectful distance, to the Public Office. One of the gang, in true young thieves' taste, stepped into a shop, and "bought" (we believe) three Banbury cakes, which he gave to their companion in trouble. The father of the lad, a mechanic In the gun trade, and evidently a well-informed man, said that when of age he would be entitled to property, and the father lamented that his son had turned out so badly. It was, however, explained that his step-mother did not behave well to the lad. The father concluded by expressing a wish that the lad could be turned from his evil courses. After some consideration, Mr. Kynnersley decided (the father paying 2s. a week) to send the young, and unfortunately experienced, thief to a Reformatory school for five years, but previously must go to gaol for fourteen days.
6 July 1861 Licensed to work for Mr Frederick Sandiland, chaser, opposite the "Frightened Horse", Handsworth
5 October 1863 Letter: Sir, this is to certify that George Bowen is as far as I have seen of him a honest, industrious boy. Yours respectfully, J J Cox, Constitution Hill, Birmingham
13 October 1863 Known to be going on well
January 1866 Doing well - Handsworth
October 1867 Doing well - Handsworth
August 1868 Doing well - Handsworth
| ← Prev | Next → |
|---|
This web page © 2020 Fred Miller