Anthony Castor - six months' imprisonment with hard labour

[BereniceUK]

An 'interesting' record for this man who apparently had served in France prior to the thefts. The press report below appeared in The Bootle Times of January 19, 1917. Did he return to the army after release from prison? He doesn't seem to be listed in the CWGC database, so presumably survived the war.

 

Anthony Castor, a private soldier recently stationed at Thornton [near Great Crosby, Lancashire/Merseyside], came before the West Derby Hundred Court of Quarter Sessions at Islington on Tuesday, charged with various robberies. He pleaded guilty to the indictments. The specific charges set out against prisoner were having stolen £22 in Treasury Notes, a stamp book and postage stamps, the property of Adolphus Henry Rice and others, at Thornton on the 2nd November, 1916.

 

It was stated that prisoner, having first visited the officers' quarters, turned his attention to the non-commissioned officers, and purloined from them. When arrested at Crosby on November 15th and accused of having robbed the quartermaster, among others, he replied, "I am glad it was the quartermaster." Why he should have any special grudge against that officer, said Mr. D'Arcy, prosecuting counsel, was not known. Prisoner also told the police, "It's all right; I spent the money in gambling, and had a good time."

 

Prisoner, although only twenty years of age, had had a very adventurous record both in the Army and in civil life. He had had three charges against him for military offences, breaking out of camp, and so forth. In 1909 he was sent to an Industrial School, and in subsequent years he got into trouble in various ways. Finally he got special leave to join the Army, and that had failed to keep him straight.

 

Prisoner said the trouble was that he had had no pay for some time. He would not mind going to France again if the Court could see their way.

 

The Court could not see their way to return prisoner to the Army. They sentenced him to six months' imprisonment with hard labour.

 

 

[ss002d6252]

If a man had been released from prison then he would be open to being recalled to active service with the military - whether they did so or not is another matter.

 

Craig

Edited 23 October , 2016 by ss002d6252

[BereniceUK]

Thanks, Craig. Which raises another question - in a case like this, if the army declined to have him back, how would that sit with others of his age being conscripted? Big incentive for someone who didn't want to serve to be as objectionable as possible, surely?

[TEW]

26291 Pte. Anthony Castor 2nd South Lancs. Medals forfeited under AO298 of 1920, so did have overseas service. Can't see any service record to say one way or another as to post-crime service.

 

Sometimes medals were forfeited for the service up to the point of the crime, so eg a 1914 star may be forfeited but further service would re-entitle the man to BWM & Vict. That would suggest he didn't rejoin (or serve abroad) after doing his time.

TEW

 

 

[ss002d6252]

5 minutes ago, BereniceUK said:

Thanks, Craig. Which raises another question - in a case like this, if the army declined to have him back, how would that sit with others of his age being conscripted? Big incentive for someone who didn't want to serve to be as objectionable as possible, surely?

 

I suspect one of four options -  the army would have used him somehow at home, he found work in industry, he was too ill/sick to serve again or he ended up back in prison.

 

If he was just being awkward I'm sure the army could have found a friendly serjeant major to keep him company. One of the reasons the army suspended sentences was to prevent men using it to try and escape from service.

 

Craig

Edited 23 October , 2016 by ss002d6252

[BereniceUK]

I found a further reference to him - found guilty of manslaughter in 1922, later took part in a riot at Dartmoor Prison in 1932.

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=j2RGDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT52&lpg=PT52&dq=Anthony+Castor,+2nd+South+Lancashire+regiment&source=bl&ots=322akEIM3r&sig=mZMkSYWHEEomVgE87ztj-JtbNVc&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Anthony Castor%2C 2nd South Lancashire regiment&f=false

[IPT]

FMP is having some sort of episode, so i'm struggling to view any records, however Anthony/(also William) Castor appears in the prison registers in 1913, 1917, 1918, 1922 and 1928.

 

 

[ss002d6252]

Just now, IPT said:

FMP is having some sort of episode, so i'm struggling to view any records, however Anthony/(also William) Castor appears in the prison registers in 1913, 1917, 1918, 1922 and 1928.

 

 

It's doing it for me too - I was just going to check the registers as well.

 

Craig

[BereniceUK]

1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

 

I suspect one of four options -  the army would have used him somehow at home, he found work in industry, he was too ill/sick to serve again or he ended up back in prison.

 

If he was just being awkward I'm sure the army could have found a friendly serjeant major to keep him company. One of the reasons the army suspended sentences was to prevent men using it to try and escape from service.

 

Craig

 

Thank you, looks like option #4 was the one.

[ss002d6252]

He was admitted to St Pancras Workhouse in 1913 - he had initially given his name as John Thompson. Previously lived at 56 Ashmore Street, Preston. Occupation given as a tailor.

 

Born 1896 in London but was in Preston by 1901.

 

Craig

Edited 23 October , 2016 by ss002d6252

[IPT]

Biography here - he was accused of being involved in the Dartmoor prison riots in 1932. He had strangled a woman.

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jiZGDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA50&dq="anthony+castor"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjN7rndvfHPAhVlC8AKHayqBQwQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q="anthony castor"&f=false

Edited 23 October , 2016 by IPT

[BereniceUK]

1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

He was admitted to St Pancras Workhouse in 1913 - he had initially given his name as John Thompson. Previously lived at 56 Ashmore Street, Preston. Occupation given as a tailor.

 

Craig

Judging by his criminal record I doubt he'd have an honest occupation in his life, unless he turned over a new leaf after coming out of prison.

[ss002d6252]

So it confirms that before they had a chance to get him back in to the army he was back in Prison -

 

Makes me think of this - "Anthony Castor, you have pleaded guilty to the charges brought by this court, and it is now my duty to pass sentence. You are an habitual criminal, who accepts arrest as an occupational hazard, and presumably accepts imprisonment in the same casual manner. "

 

Craig

[ss002d6252]

2 minutes ago, BereniceUK said:

Judging by his criminal record I doubt he'd have an honest occupation in his life, unless he turned over a new leaf after coming out of prison.

Yes, I think 'tailor' was somewhat of an overstatement of any honest occupation he'd ever managed.

 

Craig

[IPT]

In 1954, he was living in Victoria Street, Ellesmere Port, when his daughter, Hazel, eloped to Gretna Green.

 

I wonder if he's the Francis Anthony Castor that died there in 1985. 

 

 

[ss002d6252]

9 minutes ago, IPT said:

In 1954, he was living in Victoria Street, Ellesmere Port, when his daughter, Hazel, eloped to Gretna Green.

 

I wonder if he's the Francis Anthony Castor that died there in 1985. 

 

 

There's no records of a Francis Anthony in the FreeBMD birth records between 1894 and 1898 so I think it probably is him but he was also known to use William West and John Thompson.

 

Craig

Edited 23 October , 2016 by ss002d6252

[BereniceUK]

Thank you to IPT, TEW, and Craig for your responses. I had no idea what my post about a bit of thieving would bring to light!

[ss002d6252]

1 minute ago, BereniceUK said:

Thank you to IPT, TEW, and Craig for your responses. I had no idea what my post about a bit of thieving would bring to light!

It's amazing just how much information can come to light on someone after a hundred years or so.

 

Craig