Hi all,
I’m having a good go at tracking my great grandfather William John Dalton down (born 1889 in Birmingham) and I'm really hoping someone here might have some family lore, police ancestors, or local knowledge that could help me break down a brick wall.
He was a tinplate worker by trade, but spent most of the 1910s as an organised jewel thief. He had a very distinctive physical appearance: his right leg was shorter than his left, he had a deformed right foot, and loved to wear flashy suits and jewellery.
His known aliases that I've found are William Jackson, William Handley/ Hadley / Hinley
He and his wife, Fanny Dalton (nee. Roberts), used to travel by train to target towns and they would both often sing in local clubs and public houses (I would absolutely love to know more about this)
**(Autumn 1919)**
He and an accomplice named Frank Felton (a metal-dipper from Icknield Street) broke into Messrs. Warr Ltd and Messrs. Barnett on Key Hill, stealing £200 worth of stock (£10-12,000 worth today). They were chased down the street early in the morning by P.C. Moore and P.C. Kirtland.
Around the same time, he and another accomplice, William Hoar, were charged with breaking into Harry Friend’s jewellers on Soho Hill using a false key.
In 1919/1920, he was operating out of 29 Rodway Street, lodging with a George Frederick Everill/Everall, passing himself off as "Everill" and "John Handley"
William was caught, classified as a habitual criminal, and sent to Parkhurst Prison, most likely Camp Hill. When his sentence expired on 15 August 1928 he was transferred directly back to Birmingham labelled "Insane," and locked away in Birmingham City Mental Hospital, Winson Green / All Saints Hospital however I'm having trouble locating his whereabouts upon transfer and admission to the hospital and thereafter.
I've exhausted the ancestry and archives so here I am lol
I'd love to know if anyone has anymore information or interesting finds for this side of my family - His criminal career appeared to be extremely consistent from around 1907 onwards
Many thanks!
I’m having a good go at tracking my great grandfather William John Dalton down (born 1889 in Birmingham) and I'm really hoping someone here might have some family lore, police ancestors, or local knowledge that could help me break down a brick wall.
He was a tinplate worker by trade, but spent most of the 1910s as an organised jewel thief. He had a very distinctive physical appearance: his right leg was shorter than his left, he had a deformed right foot, and loved to wear flashy suits and jewellery.
His known aliases that I've found are William Jackson, William Handley/ Hadley / Hinley
He and his wife, Fanny Dalton (nee. Roberts), used to travel by train to target towns and they would both often sing in local clubs and public houses (I would absolutely love to know more about this)
**(Autumn 1919)**
He and an accomplice named Frank Felton (a metal-dipper from Icknield Street) broke into Messrs. Warr Ltd and Messrs. Barnett on Key Hill, stealing £200 worth of stock (£10-12,000 worth today). They were chased down the street early in the morning by P.C. Moore and P.C. Kirtland.
Around the same time, he and another accomplice, William Hoar, were charged with breaking into Harry Friend’s jewellers on Soho Hill using a false key.
In 1919/1920, he was operating out of 29 Rodway Street, lodging with a George Frederick Everill/Everall, passing himself off as "Everill" and "John Handley"
William was caught, classified as a habitual criminal, and sent to Parkhurst Prison, most likely Camp Hill. When his sentence expired on 15 August 1928 he was transferred directly back to Birmingham labelled "Insane," and locked away in Birmingham City Mental Hospital, Winson Green / All Saints Hospital however I'm having trouble locating his whereabouts upon transfer and admission to the hospital and thereafter.
I've exhausted the ancestry and archives so here I am lol
I'd love to know if anyone has anymore information or interesting finds for this side of my family - His criminal career appeared to be extremely consistent from around 1907 onwards
Many thanks!
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