Saltley Reformatory Inmates

Thomas Malkin

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Notes:

25 August 1866 There is a report of the crime in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 25 August 1866 p.7 col.3: THEFT FROM THE BURSLEM BATHS.- Thomas Malkin, a lad, was charged with stealing a pair boots at Burslem, belonging to John Collinson, and David Harding with receiving them knowing them to be stolen. The lads were bathing at the Burslem baths, when Malkin according to his own admission took the boots from under a bench, and sold them to Harding for twopence. It appeared from the statement of Police-sergeant Williscroft. that Harding, who was defended by Mr. A. Tennant, had given a straightforward account of the purchase, and without the slightest concealment. As to the prisoner Malkin, it appeared that notwithstanding his youth be had been in custody for pocket-picking, but it was to be feared his present position was the result of home influences, his father being a returned convict. Under these circumstances Mr. Davis decided upon sending him to a reformatory for four years, after undergoing a term of 21 days' imprisonment. Harding was cautioned and discharged.

26 January 1867 After he had been sent to the Reformatory, other members of his family were charged with widespread thefts from churches. This is reported in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 26 January 1867 p.4 col.6: THE RECENT ROBBERIES OF CHURCHES AND CHAPELS.- Our readers in North Staffordshire do not need to be reminded that during the past few months scarcely a week has elapsed in which we have not had to record the fact that one or more churches or chapels in the district had been entered during the night time and plundered of surplices, table covers, pulpit cloths, and other similar articles. We shall probably be within the limit if we say that at least twenty places of worship have been thus sacrilegiously visited, but notwithstanding, no clue to the offenders was obtained until a few days since, when, if we are rightly informed, a person in an humble station of life called on a neighbour in Bucknall road, Hanley, and found her cutting up a surplice. She at once, with commendable alacrity, gave information to the police, and inquiries set on foot by Superintendent Baker led to the apprehension of a man named Thomas Malkin, Ann Malkin his wife, William Malkin his son, and Mary Ann Malkin his daughter. Malkin and his family were living, at the time of their apprehension, in a state of utter wretchedness and destitution, in a house on "the Rocks," near the Bucknall road, and either in their house, or some house in the immediate neighbourhood, the police, on making search, discovered a large number of gowns, surplices, table covers, window blinds, and other textile fabrics, which in most cases had been cut up in order to afford facility for disposing of them. The theory of the prosecution is that Malkin's youngest child was employed to dispose of the stolen property, and when the prisoners were brought before the magistrates at Hanley, on Monday, she was tendered as a witness against them. It appeared, however, that she was ignorant, of the nature of an oath, and she was therefore sent to the Workhouse to be instructed, and the prisoners were remanded for a week. Since the apprehension of the prisoners, Superintendent Baker and Sergeant Johns have been making diligent inquiries with a view to the identification of the property which has been recovered, and they have already ascertained that it includes fabrics stolen from Keele Church; the Independent Chapel, Burslem ; the Wesleyan Chapel, Etruria ; and the New Connexion Chapel, Stoke. Malkin was some years since a member of the Wesleyan body, but was expelled for bad conduct. He afterwards fell into the hands of justice and was sentenced to four years' penal servitude. [There is a long, detailed, follow-up report in the Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 9 February 1867 p.8 cols.3-4]

10 September 1870 Discharged

January 1871 Heard of in prison

15 June 1871 He was in trouble again, as reported in the Birmingham Daily Post Thursday 15 June 1871 p.6 col.4: ROBBERY AT THE IVY HOUSE COLLIERY.- On Tuesday, at the Borough Court, Thomas Malkin, aged 17, who, a short time ago came out of a reformatory, was charged with breaking into the office of the Ivy House Colliery. He was caught in the office at mid-day on the 10th inst. by Mr. Pointon, the manager. He had forced open the door, and had ransacked the drawers, from which he had taken postage stamps of the value of 2s. 6d. He was committed for trial.

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