Preece Family History & One Name Study

Following his imprisonment in 1891 for five years, he was released from Parkhurst Prison on the Ilse of Wight on 14 December 1894, to the Discharged Prisoners Aid Society. Despite this, he soon re-offended and was arrested in 1895. Going under his alias of John Dawson, he was brought up at Stafford Assizes, and pleaded guilty to charges relating to three different properties. He did complain to the Judge that the Police didn't allow him to work, and so he had little choice but to take the action he did, but the judge had little sympathy, and jailed him again, this time the sentence being six years penal servitude.		Staffordshire Chronicle August 3 1895 John Dawson (55), fitter, had pleaded guilty to burglary and theft from three different houses in Handsworth and Aston. When asked if he had anything to say why judgement should not be passed upon him, prisoner complained that the police had deprived him of situations when he was gaining an honest livelihood. They would not allow him to work, and what was he to do? The Judge : Not commit burglaries, for that is dangerous. Continuing, prisoner said the police took every advantage of him. When he got a situation they always went to make enquiries, and drove him away. The Judge read a long list of previous convictions, in respect to one of which he was sent to penal servitude by the Recorder of Birmingham, and he was now condemned to undergo six years penal servitude.

The Kenilworth Advertiser March 16 1901 33 YEARS IN PENAL SERVITUDE John Dawson, 62, fitter, was convicted of breaking into two dwelling houses at Aston Manor, on the 9^th and 14^th January respectively, and stealing from each a quantity of clothing. His Lordship stated that the prisoner had passed 33 years of his life in penal servitude, and 23 years of this period was for crimes similar to that of which he was convicted that day. He had one year and 276 days of his last sentence to serve, and the Judge ordered him to be imprisoned for that time, a sentence of three months to run concurrently.		John was released - still under his Dawson alias - one year and nine months from the end of his sentence received in 1895, but almost instantly was arrested again for housebreaking. The judge mentioned the vast amount of time he had spent imprisoned, and sent him back to jail for the remainder of his earlier sentence, along with a new three month term to be served concurrently. He was sent to Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, where he can be found in the 1901 Census, giving his age as 60 and his marital status as Widower. At this time his occupation is given as Engine Fitter, this is how he was generally described, although exactly how much time in his life was spent as a "fitter" is open for discussion!

Despite being jailed for the remainder of his sentence, John did find himself released early the following year, (in July 1902), to the Discharged Prisoners Aid Society once again, but any help offered was either not accepted or wasted, and December 1902 finds him at Warwick Assizes, facing more charges of housebreaking in Aston. The details shown in the article to the right give us an insight into what possibly happened on various occasions after John had left prison ; it is clear that the police officer, who knew John from previous convictions, had tried to help him, and had even got him a job. However, he lasted just over two months before leaving, and returning to his old ways. We can never know what caused him to leave the job, but it is interesting to see that help was offered.		Kenilworth Advertiser, 13 December 1902 John Dawson, 63, fitter, was indicted for breaking into two dwellings in the parish of Aston Manor, and stealing a number of articles, the goods of Mr James Gray in one case, and of Mrs Elizabeth Woods in the other. - Prisoner pleaded guilty Detective Inspector Gregory, in answer to his Lordship, said he had known prisoner for many year, but could not say anything in his favour. He had found prisoner, on leaving prison in July last, a situation at 24s. a week, but he left it at the end of September and resumed his old habits. His Lordship : What kind of position was it? Detective Inspector Gregory : That of a labourer at the electric works; he had 24s. a week and as much overtime as he liked. His Lordship said this was one of those cases which made one despair of ever reclaiming a man. There were 13 convictions against prisoner. It was said that a prisoner could not get a chance of living an honest life, but in this case the prisoner had been put into the position of earning 24s. a week and living an honest life. He would be sent to penal servitude for five years.

Preece Family History
& One Name Study	The website dedicated to the research of Preece individuals and families worldwide