| No. in Admissions Register: | 604 |
| Age: | 13 |
| Whence received: | Stafford County Prison |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Eyes colour: | Brown |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | - |
| State of health: | - |
| Able-bodied? | - |
| Date of admission: | 27 April 1878 |
| Late residence: | Chase Town, Staffordshire |
| Parish he belongs to: | Chase Town |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Mining |
| Whether illegitimate: | Legitimate |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Offence: | Stealing hammer |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Neglect by parents to supply boy with food and clothing |
| Date of sentence, by whom and court: | 27 March 1878; R N Phillips and A Hinckley; Muckley Corner Petty Sessions |
| Where imprisoned: | H M Prison, Stafford |
| Sentence: | 1 month in prison, 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | None |
| Length: | - |
| For what: | - |
| Father's name: | Frederick Greenhill |
| Occupation: | Shoemaker |
| Mother's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Neither |
| Survivor married again? | - |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Good |
| Character of parents | Father had 3 months for felony at Birmingham 2 years ago. Not very sober. Health not good |
| Parents' wages: | About 25s per week |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Parents do not engage to pay any sum. I consider they ought to pay 2s weekly. The father spends a lot of money in drink |
| Parents address: | Near "Cottage Spring Inn", Chase Town, near Walsall |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | Arthur Hill, Police Superintendent, Brownhills, near Walsall |
| Person making this return: | Arthur Hill, Police Superintendent, Brownhills, near Walsall. 8 april 1878 |
30 March 1878 The boy's crime was reported in the Walsall Observer and South Staffordshire Chronicle Saturday 30 March 1878 p.3 col.7: CHASETOWN. RESCUED. - At Muckley Corner Police Court, on Wednesday, before General Phillips and A. Hinckley, Esq., George Smith, a sharp-looking lad of ten years of age, was charged with stealing a hammer, the property of George Jennings - James Davis in the employ of Mr. Jennings, said he missed the hammer from the engine-room where the prisoner with other boys had been partaking of the dinners given by Mr. Jennings during the slackness of trade in the district. The boy subsequently took Police-constable Peake to the place where the hammer was hidden. He said he intended to sell the hammer for "2d. or 3d., to buy something to eat" - Superintendent Hill said he had ascertained that the boy's real name Greenhill -his father had not done his duty by him - and in his (Superintendent Hill's) opinion it was quite a case for a reformatory. - The magistrates directed the lad to be sent to gaol for a month and :for five years to a reformatory. The little fellow burst into tears. Only one of his parents - his mother - was there to speak to him.
13 December 1878 His father was summoned for non-payment of maintenance, as reported in the Lichfield Mercury Friday 13 December 1878 p.5 col.6: A DEFAULTING PARENT.- Frederick Smith, alias Frederick Greenhill, of Bumtwood, shoemaker, was summoned at the instance of the inspector of Reformatory Schools, under an order fixing him as the parent of George Smith, aged 13 years, who is now detained in Saltley Reformatory School, at Birmingham. The complaint alleged that he was ordered to be detained there until the 27th January, 1883, and that the defendant was ordered to pay 2s. per week towards the support and maintenance of his son in the reformatory, which sum to be paid every fourteen days; and that there was now in arrear under the order £2 16s., being the amount of 14 periodical payments. -The defendant pleaded inability to pay, and presented three testimonials. -Superintendent Hill stated that in these nothing was said respecting defendant's earnings and his sobriety. He had told him that he did not intend to pay, and he had never made the slightest attempt to do so. - P.C. Peak, who had been watching defendant, gave evidence as to his ability to pay, and stated that he spent a good deal in drink.- Superintendent Hill remarked that he had been informed that the defendant was making preparations to leave the neighbourhood shortly. - The Bench committed defendant for a month, after which, failing payment, the imprisonment to run on for three months, by a month at a time.
8 August 1882 Licensed to Mr Dainty, Church Street, Chase Town
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