Diary of the bailiff for the Reformatory Farm, Bordesley Green, Belchers Lane, Birmingham

Manuscript diary kept by James Andrews (b 1862), bailiff for the farm which provided outdoor occupation and training for the boys of [Saltley Reformatory School]. Andrews records everyday life on the farm, including brief notes of what work the boys from the Reformatory were doing and how many were present each day.

A Reforrmatory School was established on Ryland Road, Birmingham in 1852 by Joseph Sturge; in 1853, it moved to to new premises in Fordbrough Lane built on land given by Charles Bowyer Adderley (1814-1905; 1st Baron Norton). Initially known as 'Saltley Reformatory School', the name was changed to Norton Boys' Home in 1908 (also known as Norton School or Norton Training School). The School was managed by Birmingham Reformatory School Society (later 'Birmingham Reformatory Institution', 'Norton School'' from 1955 and ''Norton Foundation' from 1990).

The boys received an active programme of education and training. A farm was acquired on Belchers Lane, Birmingham, and provided the boys with training in farm work. The everyday management of the Reformatory Farm was the responsibility of the farm bailiff. The bailiff reported to the superintendent and one of the bailiff's duties was to keep a written record of work which was submitted to the superintendent on a weekly basis. Initially employed as an assistant at the farm, James Andrews (b 1862) was appointed bailiff in November 1890.

Sources: personal communication with Dan Wale; information supplied by Rachel MacGregor, Birmingham: Archives, Heritage and Photography Service, October 2014; information supplied by Birmingham Children's Homes Project for ConnectingHistories: available online at http://www.search.connectinghistories.org.uk, accessed 2 September 2014.

Open, access to all registered researchers.

Presented by the granddaughter of James Andrews, per Dan Wale (University of Birmingham research student), 19 August 2014.

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Catalogued by I. Frlan, 29 September 2014. Prepared in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Records of the Reformatory ('Norton Approved School') are held by Birmingham Archives, Heritage and Photography (GB 0143 MS244).

An article by Dan Wale, telling the story of the farm and featuring extracts from the diary, was published under the title, 'Planting Seeds: Reforming Juvenile Delinquents' in History West Midlands, volume 3, issue 1, Spring 2015. A copy of the magazine is held with the diary.