| No. in Admissions Register: | 434 |
| Age: | 12 |
| Whence received: | Stafford County Prison |
| Description: | |
| Complexion: | Fresh |
| Hair colour: | Light brown |
| Eyes colour: | Grey |
| Visage: | - |
| Particular marks: | Impediment in speech |
| State of health: | Good |
| Able-bodied? | Yes |
| Date of admission and term: | 31 October 1870 5 years |
| Late residence: | Tamworth |
| Parish he belongs to: | Tamworth |
| Customary work and mode of life: | Field work |
| Whether illegitimate: | - |
| State of education: | |
| Reads: | Not at all |
| Writes: | Not at all |
| Offence: | Stealing iron rings |
| Circumstances which may have led to it: | Neglect by parents. Probably hunger also – has been only half-fed and wretchedly clothed and wholly destitute of instruction |
| Date of sentence, by who and court: | 10 October 1870, Tamworth Petty Sessions, I Bradbury and G S Peters |
| Where imprisoned: | Stafford |
| Sentence: | 21 days prison (hard labour), 5 years at Saltley |
| Previous committals: | |
| Number: | One |
| Length: | 1 month |
| For what: | Trespass |
| Father's name: | Edward Sylvester |
| Occupation: | Gardener |
| Mother's name: | - |
| Occupation: | - |
| Parents dead? | Mother |
| Survivor married again? | No |
| Parents' treatment of child: | Much neglected |
| Character of parents | Father has been several times convicted |
| Parents' wages: | Uncertain, as his employment is precarious owing to his character |
| Amount parents agree to pay: | Would [‘not' missing?] pay anything, and has nothing upon which a distress could be made |
| Parents address: | E Sylvester, gardener, Tamworth |
| Superintendent of police (to collect payments): | - |
| Person making this return: | - |
[Brother to Charles Sylvester, boy 435, to see his record click here ]
11 October 1870 There is a detailed report of the crime in the Birmingham Daily Gazette Tuesday 11 October 1870 p.8 col.5: GETTING READY FOR THE FAIR. -At the Borough Sessions, yesterday, before the Mayor (Mr. I. Bradbury) and Mr. G. S. Peters, two brothers, named Thomas Silvester (12) and Charles Silvester (9), were charged with stealing 20 rabbit skins and a quantity of rags and bones, of the value of 5s., on the 2nd of October, the property of Mr. Edwin Hough, marine store dealer, the Leys, Tamworth. It appeared the property was kept in an cut-house in prosecutor's garden, and the prisoners made an entrance on Sunday, the 2nd inst., and helped themselves. Next morning was the Tamworth Statutes, and they took eleven rabbit skins and the other property to Mr. William Wood's, general dealer, Bolebridge Street, and sold them for 2s. 9½d. On Mr. Wood remarking that the quantity was more than they usually brought at time they replied, "we have been saving up for the fair day." The robbery was discovered and traced to the prisoners, and on the following Friday they were apprehended by Police-constable Lloyd in Messrs C, Clarson and Son's office, builders, Aldergate Street, where they were being detained for another robbery of property from that firm. On seeing the officer both began to cry, and said their father would pay Mr Hough for the rags and rabbit-skins they had stolen. This concluded the first charge. The prisoners were then arraigned for stealing two iron rings, value 1s. 6d., the property of Messrs. Clarson and Son.-Mr. Alfred Clarson said the two rings produced belonged to a stone trolley, and were their property. The prisoners, last Friday, were seen by a lad in their employ named John Boston to take them from one of their trolleys; both were sent for to their office and questioned by witness, and admitted stealing the rings. They asked him to forgive them, and said they had concealed the rings at the corner of Millington's orchard. They were found there, and the prisoners were given into custody of Police-constable Lloyd.-John Boston and the police officer gave corroborative evidence.- Both prisoners, who were in a pitiable condition, without shoes, shirts, or caps, and with their trousers hanging in shreds from their legs, on being interrogated desired the magistrates dispose of the cases there, instead of going for trial.-They were committed to the House of Correction at Stafford for 21 days, and at tho end of that time to be sent to a Reformatory School for five years. [The Nuneaton Advertiser ran exactly the same story, but added the following: Both prisoners, who were in pitiable condition, without shoes, shirts, or caps, and with their trousers hanging in shreds from their legs, being interrogated. desired magistrates to dispose of cases there, instead of going for trial.]
19 October 1871 His father was summoned a year after the boy's admission to Saltley for non-payment of maintenance, as reported in the Burton Chronicle Thursday 19 October 1871 p.2 col.4: Edward Selvister [surname spelled thus] was .charged with neglecting to contribute to the maintenance of two of his children in the Reformatory. An order had been made for 1s. in each case, but he had not paid anything since the 26th of April. He was ordered to pay in a fortnight, in default three weeks imprisonment.
14 September 1875 Licensed to live with brother-in-law Thomas Eddin, Malthouse Fold, Chappel Town, near Sheffield. Work for Newton, Chambers & Co
10 October 1875 There is a letter from the two brothers: Malthouse Fold, Chapel Town, Sheffield, Yorkshire, Oct 10th 1875, Dear Sir, We now have the please of writing to you, hoping to find you and the mistress are quite well, as it leaves us both at present. We are very glad to tell you that we both [have] a place of work at the pit driving a horse, and Charley is doing the same. I am having 8 shillings and Charley 7 shillings a week. We hope the boys are all quite well. We send our kind love to Bailiff and to Mr Birkmire, so no more at present, with our kind love to you all. We remain, your humble servants, Thomas and Charles Sylvester.
26 December 1882 Sylvester calls. Is doing well. Works at Chilton Brook, Chappel Town, near Sheffield
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