Saltley Reformatory Inmates

John Holiday

No. in Admissions Register:	210
Date of admission:	15 Mar 1861
Whence received:	Walsall Gaol
By whom brought:	-
On what terms:	-
Friends interested in him:	-
Description:
Height:	-
Figure:	-
Complexion:	-
Hair colour:	-
Eyes colour:	-
Perfect vision?	-
State of health:	-
Able-bodied?	-
Sound intellect?	Yes
Use of all limbs?	Yes
Had cow or small pox?	-
Particular marks:	None
Cutaneous disorder?	No, only ringworm on his neck
Scrofulous or consumptive?	No
Subject to fits?	No
Age last birthday:	13
Illegitimate?	No
Birthday:	-
Birth place:	-
Has resided:	Dudley Street, Walsall
Parish he belongs to:	Walsall
Customary work and mode of life:	Vagrant
Schools attended:	-
By whom and where employed:	-
State of education:
Reads:	Not at all
Writes:	Not at all
Cyphers:	-
General ability:	-
Offence:	Vagrancy
Circumstances which may have led to it:	Not known
Date of sentence:	28 Feb 1861
Where convicted:	Walsall Police Court
Where imprisoned:	Stafford
Sentence:	14 days prison, 2 years at Saltley
Previous committals and convictions:	None
Fathers name:	George Holiday (stepfather)
Occupation:	Drover
Residence:	4 court, Dudley Street, Walsall,
Mother's name:	Sarah Williams
Occupation:	-
Residence:	-
Fathers character:	-
Mothers character:	-
Parents dead?	Father
Survivor married again?	Yes, as above
Parents treatment of child:	Not known
Character of parents	Not known
Parents wages:	Not known
Amount parents agree to pay:	1s a week
Superintendent of police (to collect payments):	J W Cater, Police Officer, Walsall
Relatives to communicate with:	-
Person making this return:	J W Cater
Estimate of character on admission:	-
Character on discharge:	-
When and how left the Reformatory:	-

Notes:

[H Brace, J Day prosecuted]

2 March 1861 There is a report of his offence in the Walsall Free Press and General Advertiser Saturday 2 March 1861 p.4 col.2: THE CHILDREN AGAIN.- Henry Lawley [boy 211] and John Holliday [boy 210], two boys, were charged by Police Constable No. 17, with sleeping in Mr. Crapper's lime kiln, last night. The constable stated that he found the lads asleep in the dangerous position mentioned, with their hair singed and clothes scorched. Lawley's mother was in court, and stated that she had been a widow for some years, and that her son was a very bad boy, who ran away from home without any cause, and preferred idling about the country to working. Holliday's mother was sent for, and she gave a similar account of her son; it being perfectly evident that both lads had acquired such an amount of vice as to destroy everything like parental influence upon them. The Bench remanded the boys till Thursday, and ordered the chief constable to make application, in the mean time, for their admission into the Saltley Reformatory.

14 Mar 1863 Returned to his friends. Character and expectation good

Aug 1863 Called at the school - nicely dressed. Said he was following his trade (tailoring) in Walsall

Jul 1864 Called at the school - nicely dressed. Said he was following his trade (tailoring) in Walsall

Oct 1865 Convicted at Montgomery - house breaking

28 October 1865 He fell into crime again. There is a report, in Welsh, in Baner ac Anserau Cymru Saturday 28 October 1865 p.5 col.1: Cyhuddwyd Samuel Davies, gôf, a John Holliday, o dori i mewn i d? Mr. William Jones, Guilsfield, a ladratta amryw nwyddau oddiyno. Dedfrydwydhwy I saith I mlynedd a benyd-wasanaeth. [Samuel Davies, blacksmith and John Holliday were accused of breaking in to the house of Mr William Jones, Guilsfield [Montgomershire], and stealing a variety of goods from there. They were sentenced to seven years penal servitude. Translation courtesy of hanes teulu, RootsChat Welsh Forum].

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