Elkington Family History

 

 

FRANCIS JOSEPH ELKINGTON

 

There are probably many bad boys in our family tree but this one comes to mind at this time.

 

Born in Coventry 1873, son of Joseph Elkington a Watchmaker living at 16 Arthur Street, Coventry Holy Trinity, started his vicious career at the age of fifteen. He was listed by the courts as having “an imperfect ability to read or write”. He worked as a Bicycle mechanic most of his life and seems to have lived at Yardley Street with his father moving on to Alma Street by 1901..

He had 5 convictions for assault, 1 summary conviction for Wilful Damage and 1 summary conviction for attempted suicide. He was arrested on Thursday, 29 July 1897 for his crime which had taken place thus:

Two charges were entered, The first charge for violent assault (against Ellen Elizabeth White) was apparently not proceeded with but the second charge he suffered due penalty.

 

At Birmingham, on the 2nd March, 1897, did feloniously, unlawfully, and carnally know a certain girl named Ellen Elizabeth White, then being under the age of 13 years, to wit, of the age of 10 years.

 

The trial was held on 31 st July 1897 before The Honourable Sir Lewis William Cave, Kt. and being found Guilty was sentenced to 15 years penal servitude.
 

He married Lucy Bott in Coventry in 1890 when she was 19 years old . There were three children of the marriage. Francis William born in 1892, May born in 1896 and Nellie 1898 but there is some thought that the last two children were not his. His marriage to Lucy was not a happy one and in 1897 The separation of Joseph Elkington and his wife Lucy due to the fact of marital differences and that Francis Joseph Elkington (of Yardley St., Coventry, machinist) will pay Lucy Elkington (his wife, living at the same address) 10/-d maintenance and let her take furniture; and secondly, that Lucy Elkington will have custody of their son Francis William, aged eleven months: therefore, firstly, Lucy will for Francis Josephs lifetime, live apart from him; secondly, the husband will every Saturday pay his wife 10/- for herself and their child; thirdly, any property belonging to Lucy will be hers exclusively; and fourthly, the wife will indemnify her husband and not seek restitution of conjugal rights.

 

Lucy moved to Star Yard, 14 Earl Street where she was living in 1901 aged 29 whilst Francis Joseph who should be serving his Penal Servitude, was living in 20B Alma Street with his father. However it does make you wonder if his father entered his name on the census because he was in prison.

 
 
 

[This family does not fit into the main tree of the Elkington family and many details have been taken from the 1881 and 1901 census. The marriage details come from the free BMD site at http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/ . Also information from Kew PRO In Reference HO 140/181 “Calendar of Prisoners” at Warwick Goal ].