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  1. #1
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    Default Reformatory.

    On the 30th June 1882 John Holliday PARFREMENT, age 16(sic) was sentenced to 1 months Hard Labour and 5 years in reformatory. He was born on the 5th April 1865.

    In August 1885 a newspaper reports on the inquest of Harry Batterham SMITH(born Autumn 1881), illegitimate son of Ann Eliza PARFREMENT, wife of John H PARFREMENT. Ann & John never actually married, but John must have been out of reformatory before August 1885 to be named as her husband, unless they had 'married' prior to June 1882.

    But...
    I've just received a PDF Death Entry. 19 Oct 1883 John Holliday PARFREMENT, age 7 days, son of John H PARFREMENT, Father, informant & present at death.

    I can assure you from my knowledge of the family that the John sentenced to 5 years in a reformatory in June 1882 for sexual assault is the same one reporting the death of his son in October 1883. Presuming the child could have been conceived in early 1883 how the hell does this all come about........How is he out of reformatory so quickly?

    Thanks

    Mitch

  2. #2
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    Hi Mitch,

    How sure are you that the reformatory sentence was 5 years? If the sentence was 5 months, John would have been freed around 1 Jan 1883, nine and a half months before the birth of his son.

    Peter

  3. #3
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    The Quarter Session Court records read "1 month hard labour & 5 years in a reformatory". The newspaper reports at the time also indicate the same figures, Parfrement being described as a 'bad character'. The Calendar of Prisoners shows the same - Jury: Severally guilty of indecent assault, 2 offences in one indictment.

    Thanks for your reply. Good theory!

    Mitch

  4. #4
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    Hi Mitch

    I had a relative who was sentenced to 1 month's hard labour then 5 years in a reformatory. He was sent to the reformatory ship Akbar moored in the Mersey. However he too was out under 5 years because he appeared in the next census less than 5 years after the sentence was passed. I don't know why the sentence was less than it should have been. He might have escaped but that is very unlikely given that he lived at the same address both before and after so my more probable theory is that he was released early for good behaviour.

    The years between the sentence and the census have not produced any record of him so I don't know how much of his sentence was served.

    Tony
    "People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors.” Edmund Burke

  5. #5
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    I can remember reading a while back about the prisons in the UK were more over crowded than usual once the transportation of convicts ceased. A lot of prisoners were released early to try and ease the problem. Dont know if this explains why your fella was out early but food for thought.

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    Tony,

    how did you find out where he was - ie on Akbar - as mine does not appear in prison registers that I've come across.

    Thanks

    Mitch

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    Hi Mitch

    It is a few years since I found that information so I cannot remember but I'm fairly sure that it was because parents were supposed to pay the "board and lodgings" for each prisoner (or whatever they were called) and in this case the father failed to do so. He (the father) was taken to court. I found mention of the ship in the newspaper report of the case. I was then able to find a website about reformatory hulks to find out a bit more about them and Akbar was mentioned although there were no names or records of prisoners as such.
    Tony
    "People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors.” Edmund Burke

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