Left: Taken from the Oxford Gaol, Oxfordshire Photographs of Prisoners. Henry Cox, age 17, 10th March 1870: Henry Cox, Alfred Pearson and William Powell were charged with stealing an old iron furnace, belonging to Mr French, of Henwell, the furnace was used as a water trough, it had been broken up and Coxs' sold it for old iron. Cox was sentenced to 2 months hard labour, and Pearson and Powell were discharged.
RAP-SHEET
of Benjamin Phillips
Benjamin Phillips was born between 1825-1831 at Southwark, in Surrey (South London) or the U.S.A., he was between 5ft ¼ inch to 5ft 3 inches tall with brown hair and green eyes, his criminal career started in England in 1859, when he was convicted of stealing two barrows at Southwark, Surrey in South London. He spent six months' inside Wandsworth Prison.
57 years' later, and 44 ½ years' of that time spent inside Prison, Benjamin Phillips died of Cancer inside Wandsworth Prison, on the 3rd October 1916.
Benjamin was not much of a criminal, but more an idle man, who liked prison life, better than freedom. So he would commit a crime and give himself up
Alias William Read, William Reed, Thomas Green, Thomas Cook, Benjamin Evans
6 months', Surrey Sessions, 22nd August 1859, stealing barrows, as William Read.
3 years' penal servitude, Surrey Sessions, 21st May 1860, stealing clock & Co, as William Reed.
7 years' penal servitude, and 7 years' police supervision., Surrey Sessions, 27th June 1871, stealing a watch & Co., as William Reed. He served some of his time inside Broadmoor Asylum
12 months' and licence revoked and 5 years' police supervision., Surrey Sessions, 3rd April 1877, stealing bread, as Thomas Green alias William Read alias Reed., 5ft 3inches, with brown hair, a sailor.
7 years' penal servitude., Surrey Sessions, 1st December 1879, shop-breaking & Co.,
6 weeks' and licence revoked., Greenwich Police Court., 20th October 1885, unlawful possession, stealing boots.
7 years' Penal Servitude., Surrey Sessions, 15th July 1887, burglary in the dwelling house of Robert Webb, and stealing therein a hearthrug and other articles.
60 days and licence revoked., Glasgow Sheriff Court., 23rd May 1893, house-breaking.
22 months' Wandsworth Prison and licence revoked, South London Sessions, 14th August 1894., attempted burglary in the dwelling-house of Robert Webb, an accountant residing at Battersea Rise, with intent to steal therein.
Liberated on third licence 8th September 1896 to London a Ship's cook. Born 1824 at Southwark, 5ft 2 ½ inches, with a pale complexion, green eyes and brown hair, turning grey and going bald.
18 months' South London Sessions, 14th October 1896, attempted burglary.
9 months' South London Sessions., 15th June 1898, stealing a barrow the goods of William Parjett, as Benjamin Evans a labourer.
12 months' hard labour Wandsworth Prison South London Sessions., 13 September 1899, damaging a plate-glass window, the property of Messrs Barrett Brothers as Thomas Cook a painter.
12 months' South London Sessions., 15th August 1900, wilful damage as Thomas Cook.
4 months' hard labour, Pentonville Prison. Central Criminal Court., 22nd October 1901, damaging 2 glass windows, value £16 10s., the property of J. Spencer Turner, as Thomas Cook a painter.
12 months' South London Sessions., 21st May 1902, damaging a plate-glass window, the property of John Forrester.
18 months' South London Sessions., 15th April 1903, damage.
21 months' hard labour, Wandsworth Prison. South London Sessions., 19th October 1904, damaging a plate-glass window, value £10, the property of William Forrester
3 years' Penal Servitude South London Sessions., 18th April 1906, damage by night one plate glass window, value £12, the property of John Forrester. Released 18th July 1908 to 29 Brooke Street, Holborn a painter. Born 1831 London, 5ft 1 inch, green eyes and grey hair, partly bald.
1 month and licence revoked, Mansion House., 13th August 1908, for wilful damage. Liberated 12th June 1909 to Rowton House, Newington Butts a labourer. Licence revoked. Sentence expires. Born 1831 in the U.S.A., 5ft 1 ¼ inch tall with a pale complexion and grey thin hair.
2 months' Mansion House, 4th August 1909, damage.
3 years' Penal Servitude London Sessions 5th October 1909, stealing tricycle the property of James Dennis.
Released 6th December 1911, to Central Association London, a labourer. Born 1830 America, 5ft 1 ¼ inch tall.
5 months' without hard labour, Wormwood Scrubs and licence revoked, Central Criminal Court., 9th January 1912, attempted suicide by taking carbolic acid at the Minories in the City of London.
2 months' Tower Bridge Police Court., 12th February 1913, damage.
Released 16th June 1913, Licence twice revoked. Born 1830 America, 5ft ¼ inch tall, with green eyes, grey hair bald on top, and a fair complexion. Blue dot right cheek and near left eye; dot web right thumb; lump left eyebrow.
2 months' Tower Bridge Police Court., 24th June 1913, damage.
9 months' London Sessions., 4th November 1913, damaging a plate-glass window the property of Alfred Forrester, to the amount of £12. Phillips asked for penal servitude, and said he wants to go to the prison infirmary, as he is treated better there than anywhere else. He had smashed this particular window four times.
Mr Wallace K.C. - You shall go for nine months'.
Prisoner – Thank you, sir.
9 months' London Sessions., 21st July 1914, damaging a plate-glass shop window in Bermondsey, he had broken the same window five times, and on each occasion he walked to the police station and gave himself up.
Bound over in 1914 for attempted suicide.
9 months' hard labour Wandsworth Prison, Tower Bridge Police Court., 22nd April 1915, damage. Damaging one plate-glass window, the property of Alfred Forrester and others, to the amount of £15.
Phillips had said, he wanted to be locked up, as he preferred prison to the workhouse.
December 1915, London Sessions, 12 months' for breaking a shop window.
4 Summary Convictions as an idle pauper.
Died 3rd October 1916 inside Wandsworth Prison of Cancer.
57 years' later, and 44 ½ years' of that time spent inside Prison, Benjamin Phillips died of Cancer inside Wandsworth Prison, on the 3rd October 1916.
Benjamin was not much of a criminal, but more an idle man, who liked prison life, better than freedom. So he would commit a crime and give himself up
Alias William Read, William Reed, Thomas Green, Thomas Cook, Benjamin Evans
6 months', Surrey Sessions, 22nd August 1859, stealing barrows, as William Read.
3 years' penal servitude, Surrey Sessions, 21st May 1860, stealing clock & Co, as William Reed.
7 years' penal servitude, and 7 years' police supervision., Surrey Sessions, 27th June 1871, stealing a watch & Co., as William Reed. He served some of his time inside Broadmoor Asylum
12 months' and licence revoked and 5 years' police supervision., Surrey Sessions, 3rd April 1877, stealing bread, as Thomas Green alias William Read alias Reed., 5ft 3inches, with brown hair, a sailor.
7 years' penal servitude., Surrey Sessions, 1st December 1879, shop-breaking & Co.,
6 weeks' and licence revoked., Greenwich Police Court., 20th October 1885, unlawful possession, stealing boots.
7 years' Penal Servitude., Surrey Sessions, 15th July 1887, burglary in the dwelling house of Robert Webb, and stealing therein a hearthrug and other articles.
60 days and licence revoked., Glasgow Sheriff Court., 23rd May 1893, house-breaking.
22 months' Wandsworth Prison and licence revoked, South London Sessions, 14th August 1894., attempted burglary in the dwelling-house of Robert Webb, an accountant residing at Battersea Rise, with intent to steal therein.
Liberated on third licence 8th September 1896 to London a Ship's cook. Born 1824 at Southwark, 5ft 2 ½ inches, with a pale complexion, green eyes and brown hair, turning grey and going bald.
18 months' South London Sessions, 14th October 1896, attempted burglary.
9 months' South London Sessions., 15th June 1898, stealing a barrow the goods of William Parjett, as Benjamin Evans a labourer.
12 months' hard labour Wandsworth Prison South London Sessions., 13 September 1899, damaging a plate-glass window, the property of Messrs Barrett Brothers as Thomas Cook a painter.
12 months' South London Sessions., 15th August 1900, wilful damage as Thomas Cook.
4 months' hard labour, Pentonville Prison. Central Criminal Court., 22nd October 1901, damaging 2 glass windows, value £16 10s., the property of J. Spencer Turner, as Thomas Cook a painter.
12 months' South London Sessions., 21st May 1902, damaging a plate-glass window, the property of John Forrester.
18 months' South London Sessions., 15th April 1903, damage.
21 months' hard labour, Wandsworth Prison. South London Sessions., 19th October 1904, damaging a plate-glass window, value £10, the property of William Forrester
3 years' Penal Servitude South London Sessions., 18th April 1906, damage by night one plate glass window, value £12, the property of John Forrester. Released 18th July 1908 to 29 Brooke Street, Holborn a painter. Born 1831 London, 5ft 1 inch, green eyes and grey hair, partly bald.
1 month and licence revoked, Mansion House., 13th August 1908, for wilful damage. Liberated 12th June 1909 to Rowton House, Newington Butts a labourer. Licence revoked. Sentence expires. Born 1831 in the U.S.A., 5ft 1 ¼ inch tall with a pale complexion and grey thin hair.
2 months' Mansion House, 4th August 1909, damage.
3 years' Penal Servitude London Sessions 5th October 1909, stealing tricycle the property of James Dennis.
Released 6th December 1911, to Central Association London, a labourer. Born 1830 America, 5ft 1 ¼ inch tall.
5 months' without hard labour, Wormwood Scrubs and licence revoked, Central Criminal Court., 9th January 1912, attempted suicide by taking carbolic acid at the Minories in the City of London.
2 months' Tower Bridge Police Court., 12th February 1913, damage.
Released 16th June 1913, Licence twice revoked. Born 1830 America, 5ft ¼ inch tall, with green eyes, grey hair bald on top, and a fair complexion. Blue dot right cheek and near left eye; dot web right thumb; lump left eyebrow.
2 months' Tower Bridge Police Court., 24th June 1913, damage.
9 months' London Sessions., 4th November 1913, damaging a plate-glass window the property of Alfred Forrester, to the amount of £12. Phillips asked for penal servitude, and said he wants to go to the prison infirmary, as he is treated better there than anywhere else. He had smashed this particular window four times.
Mr Wallace K.C. - You shall go for nine months'.
Prisoner – Thank you, sir.
9 months' London Sessions., 21st July 1914, damaging a plate-glass shop window in Bermondsey, he had broken the same window five times, and on each occasion he walked to the police station and gave himself up.
Bound over in 1914 for attempted suicide.
9 months' hard labour Wandsworth Prison, Tower Bridge Police Court., 22nd April 1915, damage. Damaging one plate-glass window, the property of Alfred Forrester and others, to the amount of £15.
Phillips had said, he wanted to be locked up, as he preferred prison to the workhouse.
December 1915, London Sessions, 12 months' for breaking a shop window.
4 Summary Convictions as an idle pauper.
Died 3rd October 1916 inside Wandsworth Prison of Cancer.