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Norton Boys School
- Thread starter Jonathanh
- Start date
RobT
Acemeccanoman
There is a blog about this school here
birminghamchildrenslives.wordpress.com
Norton School
A reformatory school was founded in Birmingham in 1852 by Joseph Sturge, in a house in Ryland Road; the Birmingham Reformatory School Society was founded to manage the school, and within a decade i…
birminghamchildrenslives.wordpress.com
RobT
Acemeccanoman
This is a site here about accessing records
daveevans2010
master brummie
Couldn't find anything in the papers until I searched for Norton Training School: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive...y&phrasesearch=Norton Training School &page=1
daveevans2010
master brummie
Likewise at the National Archives: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q="Norton+Training+School"
Hi - I've been collecting, transcribing, and organising documents from the Saltley Reformatory for some years now. The information up to early 1902 is available to see on the South Warwickshire Family History Society site. I am just completing the next (and final) batch which takes it up to 1911. If you could post the names of the boys you are interested in, I'll see what information I have. Be aware though, that the information starts becoming patchy after 1902.
Hi Dusty, I shall have to have a look at that site. Their names were Arthur and Albert Hall and they were from Lincoln. I have found nothing on why they were at Saltley, just the 1911 Census entry. I do know their mother had died and their father re-married. Don't know if they were sent away by the evil step-mother?!
were they on the 1911 living in birmingham and do you have their dates or years of birth? ..the more info you can give the more we maybe able to help
lyn
yes ive got their father and step mother living in lincoln on the 1911 and albert and arthur are down as living away from home...i did think that the lads would also be on the 1911 living at the reformatory in birmingham but so far i cant find them..i can only think that maybe they had been a bit naughty and were sent away for correction..if that is the case there maybe something in the newspaper archives..i am not subscribed to that at the min but maybe other member who are could take a quick look for you..must admit that lincoln does seem a long way from birmingham
lyn
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can you confirm that you have found arthur on the 1911 at norton boys birmingham? bit busy at the min but i will look again later
ok ive got arthur on the 1911 at the reformatory but cant see brother albert there with him unless ive missed him however i have found a albert hall right age inmate born lincoln in yorkshire but cant be certain its the right one at the min
| Name | Albert Hall |
|---|---|
| Age in 1911 | 11 |
| Estimated Birth Year | abt 1900 |
| Relation to Head | Inmate |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Place | Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England |
| Civil parish | Sculcoates |
| County/Island | Yorkshire-East Riding |
| Country | England |
| Registration District Number | 521 |
| Sub-registration district | Drypool |
| ED, institution, or vessel | 29-31 |
| Piece | 28686 |
lyn
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OK, Arthur William is in my files. I've been having eye problems to there may well be typos, but here is the information I have gathered. The available information started drying up after 1902, so I have supplemented the information from the surviving Reformatory records with census data and newspaper reports. Hope it is of interest.
No. 1505
Name: Arthur William Hall
Address: 2 Pelham Street, Lincoln [1901 census]; 34 Michaelgate, Lincoln [1908 newspaper report]
Whence received into Saltley: Lincoln Police Court
Offence: Stealing 9s 6d [newspaper report]
Date of Admission: 10 September 1908
Parents: Arthur K and Elizabeth Hall [1901 census]
Parents occupations: father - Crane worker[?] in oil mill; mother - none [1901 census]
Additional:
12 September 1908 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Boston Guardian Saturday 12 September 1908 p.2 col.2: THEFT BY A LINCOLN NEWSBOY. Lincoln City Police-court, on Tuesday before Mr. T. Martin and Mr. J. S. Battle, Arthur Wm. Hall, 12, St. Michael-gate was, charged with stealing 9s. 6d. .from Wm. Baker, of 26, Canwick-road, on September 5th. - Detective-sergt. Brierley and prosecutor gave evidence. It appeared that the boy had delivered newspapers at the house of prosecutor. On Saturday night prosecutor gave him what he believed at the time was 6d. Subsequently he discovered that he had given him half-a-sovereign, The boy, who gave him 3d. change, retained the half-sovereign, and on being questioned bv Detective-Sergt. Brierley admitted that he had kept it, and that he had given some money to other boys, and had bought sweets and gone to the Palace Theatre. The accused now explained that he did not know that he was paid half-a-sovereign till afterwards. as he had put the money straight Into his pocket, and when he discovered it another boy urged him to spend it. - The father of the accused said that prosecutor was guilty of negligence in giving the half-sovereign to the boy. - It was stated that the accused had been before the magistrates twice. - The magistrates now sentenced him to receive six strokes with the birch rod, and to be sent to a reformatory.
8 July 1909 The following year his father was in trouble, as reported in the Lincolnshire Echo Thursday 8 July 1909 p.3 col.3: FAILING TO MAINTAIN. - Arthur Hall, of 34 Michaelgate, Lincoln,.was summoned for failing to pay 1s a week maintenance for his boy, Arthur Wm. Hall, who was sent to the Saltley, Warwick, reformatory school in September last. - The Chief Constable stated that since the boy was sent away the defendant had only paid 8s. Defendant, on the committal of the boy. had volunteered a shilling a week The man had been in good work for some time. - The Mayor said this was a case of utter neglect An order of 1s a week was made.
25 July 1913 The Reformatory Incidental Returns Register recorded that Hall was licensed to go out and work for Mr Astley Bates, builder, Small Heath, Birmingham
7 September 1913 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley
No. 1505
Name: Arthur William Hall
Address: 2 Pelham Street, Lincoln [1901 census]; 34 Michaelgate, Lincoln [1908 newspaper report]
Whence received into Saltley: Lincoln Police Court
Offence: Stealing 9s 6d [newspaper report]
Date of Admission: 10 September 1908
Parents: Arthur K and Elizabeth Hall [1901 census]
Parents occupations: father - Crane worker[?] in oil mill; mother - none [1901 census]
Additional:
12 September 1908 The crime that sent him to Saltley was reported in the Boston Guardian Saturday 12 September 1908 p.2 col.2: THEFT BY A LINCOLN NEWSBOY. Lincoln City Police-court, on Tuesday before Mr. T. Martin and Mr. J. S. Battle, Arthur Wm. Hall, 12, St. Michael-gate was, charged with stealing 9s. 6d. .from Wm. Baker, of 26, Canwick-road, on September 5th. - Detective-sergt. Brierley and prosecutor gave evidence. It appeared that the boy had delivered newspapers at the house of prosecutor. On Saturday night prosecutor gave him what he believed at the time was 6d. Subsequently he discovered that he had given him half-a-sovereign, The boy, who gave him 3d. change, retained the half-sovereign, and on being questioned bv Detective-Sergt. Brierley admitted that he had kept it, and that he had given some money to other boys, and had bought sweets and gone to the Palace Theatre. The accused now explained that he did not know that he was paid half-a-sovereign till afterwards. as he had put the money straight Into his pocket, and when he discovered it another boy urged him to spend it. - The father of the accused said that prosecutor was guilty of negligence in giving the half-sovereign to the boy. - It was stated that the accused had been before the magistrates twice. - The magistrates now sentenced him to receive six strokes with the birch rod, and to be sent to a reformatory.
8 July 1909 The following year his father was in trouble, as reported in the Lincolnshire Echo Thursday 8 July 1909 p.3 col.3: FAILING TO MAINTAIN. - Arthur Hall, of 34 Michaelgate, Lincoln,.was summoned for failing to pay 1s a week maintenance for his boy, Arthur Wm. Hall, who was sent to the Saltley, Warwick, reformatory school in September last. - The Chief Constable stated that since the boy was sent away the defendant had only paid 8s. Defendant, on the committal of the boy. had volunteered a shilling a week The man had been in good work for some time. - The Mayor said this was a case of utter neglect An order of 1s a week was made.
25 July 1913 The Reformatory Incidental Returns Register recorded that Hall was licensed to go out and work for Mr Astley Bates, builder, Small Heath, Birmingham
7 September 1913 Sentence expired whilst out on licence, discharged from Saltley
glad the newspapers at least solved why arthur was sent away...poor lad obviously had a bad start in life and that sentence of 6 strokes with the birch rod was very harsh for a lad of his young age but sadly thats how it was back then...not sure if you read my last post with a possible 1911 sighting for his brother albert in yorkshire as an inmate...
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Wow, that is amazing, thank you for that. I think I'm going to have to learn/practice newspaper searches!
All of that information is great.
I wonder if his brother, Albert, is the one you highlight Astoness, as there was a industrial school on a boat in Sculcoates which might account for that given as his civil parish. Don't why he would then have ended up at Norton.
All of that information is great.
I wonder if his brother, Albert, is the one you highlight Astoness, as there was a industrial school on a boat in Sculcoates which might account for that given as his civil parish. Don't why he would then have ended up at Norton.
are you certain he was at norton jonathan if so what year was he there...he certainly was not there in 1911 so a good chance it is him at sculcoates in 1911..
lyn
hi jonathan as i said only arthur was at norton in 1911 we have no hard evidence that albert was also sent there... it could just be a coinsidence that there is another albert hall born the same year as your albert and also born in lincoln down as an inmate on the 1911 in yorkshire...my gut feeling is that it is him and that they were sent to different reformatories....but of course this is also not certain..either way and as i said in an earier post its clear that the lads did not have a very good start in life but hopefully made good in the end
lyn
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If Saltley Reformatory was typical, there are a few pairs of brothers that were sent there, some for committing an offence together, some for committing different offences at different times. However, then as now, there was a capacity issue. You often read of boys being sentenced and then being held while a place in a reformatory was found for them. This could well be why Arthur and Albert ended up in different institutions. Basically, there wasn't a systenatic process for allocating offenders, it was just pot luck where there was space available.
Only a handful of photos - about 25 - have survived. Those that have are displayed on the South Warwickshire FHS website. Sadly, none of them Arthur.