Update of the PAST NEWS..... 1st April 1893

Catch up on the full story of last weeks NEWS...........

*Alexander Froggatt –

Alexander was sent to gaol for 1 month in this week’s NEWS after he deserted his children to the care of the Union Workhouse.  This was not the first, nor would it be the last time Alexander deserted his children –

In December 1892 he appeared in court after having left his 2 children on 16^th September.  He was eventually found at Denaby Main Colliery near Mexborough and brought back to Chesterfield to take responsibility for his actions.  The cost to the Board of Guardians for the upkeep of the children had been £1 16s.  Alexander was fined 10s plus costs of £1 16s or 7 days gaol.

As we know only 2 months later in February 1893 he had yet again deserted them and was sentenced to a further 1 months gaol with hard labour.

In April 1894 Alexander is again charged with leaving just 1 child this time and leaving the Union Workhouse to care for this child.  He appeared in court this time wearing a uniform of a soldier.  He was sentenced to 1 month gaol.

Without doing more in depth research into the workhouse books, criminal records and purchasing the relevant registration certificates I cannot be certain who this Alexander Froggatt was or who his children were.

There is a likely candidate in the shape of an Alexander Froggatt born around 1863 in Dronfield, Derbyshire.  He married Eliza Young in 1886 at St John’s Church, Newbold and they had 2 children; Alexander Charles William in 1886 and Bertha in 1890.  In 1891 the family are living at Cavendish Street, Newbold and Alexander is working as a coal miner.  The family then dissappear after the 1891 census

What became of Eliza as if she was still at home then would Alexander be accused of deserting just his children?  I would have thought she would have been mentioned in the proceedings.  I have not been able to locate a death for an Eliza Froggatt in Chesterfield for those years, so maybe she simply left him and the children or maybe she was ill and institutionalised so she was unable to care for the children herself?

As I have said, the above family may well be the incorrect one without the further research. Does anyone know the story of Alexander Froggatt? Please do let us know if you do.

 

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*The happy couple –

 

Elizabeth Brunt and James Wright tied the knot on 22^nd March at Ashover Parish Church.

 

Elizabeth was the daughter of William Brunt and James was the son of George Wright.  Elizabeth was a few years older than James; she was 31 years old and he was 28 years old when they married (according to the marriage register, however looking at census returns she may have been born in 1860 which would have made her older still).

 

The 1911 census shows Elizabeth and James living at 2 Holmgate Road, Clay Cross.  James is working as a railway platelayer.  They have been married 18 years and have 3 children all still living; Edith aged 17 years, Ethel aged 15 years and Edgar aged 14 years.  Edith and Ethel are both domestic servants, Edgar is an office boy.

 

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