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Brilliant bit of Monkey Business!

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  • Brilliant bit of Monkey Business!

    My 2 x great grandfather Josiah Tomkins, was at 12 Corbitts Court/Row Spitalfields on the 1881 census, aged 14, with his mother and father and two brothers one older, one younger. The three brothers all worked as Spitalfields Market porters, and I know great great grandad had a reputation, in later life at least for spending his wages as quick as he earned them in the local pubs. When I then found an entry on the Black Sheep Index J Tomkins Corbitts Row, Spitalfields 1884, fair to say I graoned and thought oh god what did he do. I put off getting it for more than year as I did fear it would be something nasty, but last week convinced myself it was probably at worse a drunken brawl or something similar, took the plunge and sent for it.

    Well, it came this morning..to say I was suprised is an understatement and I havn't been able to stop laughing since. It actually concerned great great grandads brother John, who was 19 at the time of the report, and by the sounds of it was the original Victorian Del Boy...


    The Police Guardian Friday August 8 1884

    At the Worship-street Police Court recently a youth named John Tomkins, living at 12 Corbits Row, Spitalfields, was charged with gambling of a somewhat unusual charachter. It appeared that on Sunday afternoon the prisoner was watched by Police Constables in plain clothes, who saw him drive a brisk trade in selling tickets bearing certain numbers at penny each. When a dozen were disposed of, round balls, bearing similar numbers were placed in the cylinder, which a monkey, trained for the purpose, turned round, and then inserting his paw, pulled out one, which was declared to be the winning number, and the holder paind ten pence, two pence deducted for commission. Furthermore, the officers noticed only certain young men, who appeared to be the prisoners confederates, were succesful in the draw. After having seen him dispose of several shillings worth of tickets the officers arrested him, and the monkey, which, amid considerable laughter, was produced in court. Mr Hannay ordered the prisoner to pay a fine of 40 shillings, in default to be imprisoned for a month.



    :D:D:D I could never have guessed that in a million years...great stuff for the tree!

  • #2
    Richard

    Oh, how wonderful!

    I have a few comical things in my tree. I shouldn't laugh at this because it was serious, but I still do, I'm afraid.

    Mary Holden, a distant twiglet in my tree, was the last woman to hang at Lancaster Castle in 1836. She poisoned her hubby by putting arsenic in his tea. When tried, her defence was:

    "I only put the arsenic in the pot, he drank the tea himself" LOL! As an aside, I was interested to know that working-class people drank tea in 1836, somehow I had thought they probably drank small beer all the time.

    The other one - I make no apologies for this cos I think it's very funny - James Holden and his cousin FISH FISH were found guilty of stealing...two fish!

    OC

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    • #3
      Wonders what happened to the monkey? :D

      Richard thats brilliant and OC Fish Fish stealing fish :D




      ]

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      • #4
        I'm still wondering how on Earth a 19 year old East End lad managed to get hold of a monkey in the first place. Let alone train him up to pull scams with him. Dishonest...but enterprising I give him that!

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        • #5
          "I only put the arsenic in the pot, he drank the tea himself"..oh and lol...no not the best defence ever heard OC.

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          • #6
            That's priceless Richard!

            The Black Sheep Index came up trumps for me too gg uncle jilted his fiancee so she sued him for breach of promise - this is from the court case where his letters to her were read out

            'He added “Your nightshirts fit perfectly and are very comfortable.” (Laughter) “Please consider yourself cuddled for one hour.” In another letter he referred to the fact that his sisters had suggested that he should join them in business, and told the plaintiff he could save a deal of money. He added, “You can save plenty of money down here. It’s only cost me 11d for a week. Two ounces of bacca and a nailbrush.” (Laughter)'

            (She was awarded £375 damages)

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Richard View Post
              I'm still wondering how on Earth a 19 year old East End lad managed to get hold of a monkey in the first place. Let alone train him up to pull scams with him. Dishonest...but enterprising I give him that!

              Organ-grinders with monkeys would have been a familiar sight, I should think, but the training is certainly impressive

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