Edward Armitage (1839-1880), police constable

Edward Armitage was an elder brother of Robert Melton Armitage (1846-1910), my great grandfather.

Edward was born in 1839 in Leeds. He was the second of five boys born to Thomas Armitage and his wife Elizabeth (nee Woodward), who were married in Leeds in 1835. The 1841 census shows Thomas (aged 35, an agricultural labourer) living in Regent Street, Leeds with Elizabeth (30), Martha (10), James (5), Edward (2) and William Armitage (1 month). This census doesn’t state family relationships, so it isn’t clear whether Martha is their daughter. If so, she would have been born four years before her parents got married.

In 1849, Thomas and Elizabeth had a daughter, Phoebe, who died in 1850 aged 1. Elizabeth died in 1850 aged 43. The 1851 census shows Thomas Armitage, a widower aged 46, living at 4 Pendulum Street, Leeds with his sons William (aged 9), Joseph (6) and Robert (3). Edward would have been 12, but is not recorded at this address.

Edward enlisted in the army in September 1857 aged 17 years 10 months, giving his place of birth as Leeds and his trade as collier. He joined the 36^th Regiment of Foot at Salford. In 1860 he married Mary Willcocks in the Stoke Damerel registration district. This includes Devonport in Plymouth – perhaps Edward was stationed there ? He was aged 20, she was 22. Mary’s maiden name is spelt as Willcox in the marriage record, but as Willcocks in the birth registrations of all her children. She came from Polruan near Fowey in Cornwall and is shown as a soldier’s wife aged 23, living at 5 Tinker’s Hill, Polruan with her father Thomas (aged 61, a former mariner) in the 1861 census.

The National Archives have a record of the discharge of Private Edward Armitage from the Army on 8^th April 1861 at Dublin. The medical report says “This man is considered unfit for the performance of his military duties by an abscess on the chest and incipient Phthisis Pulmonalis” (meaning pulmonary tuberculosis). The form states that his conduct has been good and his total service was 3 years 149 days. His age at discharge was 21 years 4 months, height 5 feet 5 inches, complexion fair, eyes grey, hair light brown.

Edward and Mary had daughters, Bessie (born 1863 in Devonport) and Mary Emma (born 1865 in Falmouth). The 1871 and 1881 censuses show Bessie living in Devonport with her aunt Angelina Herd nee Willcocks.

It seems that Edward and Mary later lived at Saltash (near Plymouth), as their children Angelina and Thomas Edward were born there, in 1868 and 1870. They then moved to London where Edward joined the Metropolitan Police. The 1871 census shows Edward, aged 32, a police constable, living in Tottenham with his wife Mary (34) and children Angelina (3) and Thomas (7 months). Edward and Mary’s child Ellen Maud Willeyfed Dick Armitage (what a name !) was born in 1872 and Isaac John Armitage in 1874, both in Edmonton (which includes Tottenham).

In about 1875/6, Edward and his family moved to Hackney where Florence Kate was born in 1877 (and died the same year) and Ernest Henry in 1879.

Metropolitan Police records (in series MEP 4/2) held at the National Archives show that PC Edward Armitage died on 6 January 1880 of heart disease in Hackney. He was aged 41. The 16 January 1880 edition of the Hackney and Kingsland Gazette contained a description of his funeral

Funeral of a Police Constable

A much respected member of the Hackney Division of Police (Edward Armitage, 547), died rather suddenly in his garden, on the 6th inst., from rupture of a blood vessel, and on Tuesday the final obsequies were observed at the Manor Park Cemetery. The cortege, which started from the deceased's late residence, 26, Pratt Road, Clapton Park, consisted of hearse and mourning coach and the mourners included four inspectors, 11 sergeants, 110 constables; the Band of the Division and four officers of the Volunteer Fire Brigade, with engine also being present, and attracted considerable attention en route. The ceremony was a most impressive one, the officiating divine deducing from the sad event the awful uncertainty of life. The deceased, who leaves a widow and seven children, had fortunately taken the precaution of insuring himself and family in a society which very many of the men of the N and other divisions have also joined, viz., the Royal London Friendly Society, and thus spared the bereaved ones the pangs of poverty which invariably follow the demise of the improvident husband and father. There are certainly benefits to be derived by the families of deceased P.C.’s., still too much provision cannot made to enable a widow with a family to meet the stern realities of the world; and the above painfully sudden case should prove a stimulus to others to make a like provision.

Cemetery records show that Edward was buried in Manor Park Cemetery grave 100/328, which is shared with three other people not related to him.

The 1881 census shows Edward’s widow Mary (aged 43, a laundress) with her children John (6) and Ernest (2) living at 5 Gainsboro Square, Hackney. His daughter Angelina was an orphan scholar at Cumberland House Orphanage, Greenleaf Lane, Walthamstow. His daughter Ellen was living in Hull with her aunt Emma Dick nee Willcocks and Emma’s husband Josias.

William Armitage (1841-1926), soldier and gatekeeper

William Armitage was an elder brother of Robert Melton Armitage (1846-1910), my great grandfather.

William was born 1841 in Leeds, the third of five boys born to Thomas Armitage (a linen maker) and his wife Elizabeth (nee Woodward), who died about 1850. The 1851 census shows Thomas Armitage, a widower aged 46, living at 4 Pendulum Street, Leeds with his sons William (aged 9), Joseph (6) and Robert (3).

William joined the army on 27 June 1861 in Leeds. He gave his age as 20 years and his previous occupation as miner. He was unmarried, height 5 foot 7 inches, 157 lbs, with brown hair and tattoos on both arms. He enlisted for 12 years for a bounty of one pound, joining the Royal Artillery. The signature box on the enlistment form contains “the mark of William Armitage“, indicating that he was illiterate. William was in the UK until 11 July 1862 when he was posted to India, where he served until 5 Aug 1867. The Indian Army was formed by the British Government after the Indian Mutiny in 1857 (before then the British East India Company had its own army units). The Indian Army was used to suppress uprisings, keep order and guard the frontiers. It included British and Indian (sepoy) units.

On his return to the UK, William was posted to Woolwich then Dover where he married Kate Marton (born 1847 in Pimlico, Middlesex) on 23 September 1869. He was aged 28 and she 22. They went on to have six children namely Robert Henry (b 1870 in Dover), Thomas William (b 1871 in Limerick), Robert Melton (b 1874 in Woolwich), Ellen Elizabeth (b 1878 in Colchester), John James (b 1881 in Colchester) and Joseph Edward (b 1883 in Battersea). The places of birth of his first five children show where William was posted.

Thomas William Armitage was baptised in 1873 and Robert Melton in 1874, both at St Mary Magdalene church in Woolwich. Their father William is listed in the baptism record as a Gunner, 17 Brigade, Royal Artillery.

The 1881 census shows William (aged 40, a soldier), Kate (33), Robert Henry (9), Thomas William (7), Robert Melton (6) and Ellen (2) Armitage living at Artillery Barracks, St Giles, Colchester. William’s occupation is given as “Gunner, Royal Artillery” on the birth certificate of his son John James in May 1881.

In 1881, Egyptian army officers led by Ahmed Arabi mutinied against the Khedive of Egypt and forced him to appoint a nationalist government. In January 1882  Arabi became Minister of War and demanded that foreigners be driven out of Egypt. Britain was concerned about access to the Suez Canal and their investments in Egypt. This prompted an armed British response, first in the form of a naval bombardment of Alexandria, and then an expeditionary force under Lieutenant-General Garnet Wolseley. William Armitage was part of the 24,000 strong army sent from Britain. He arrived in Egypt on 8 August 1882. At dawn on 13 September 1882, the British Army led by the Highland Brigade attacked Egyptian forces commanded by Arabi and entrenched in fortifications at Tel-el-Kebir, sixty miles east of Cairo. The British assault was accompanied by the sound of bagpipe players. The Egyptian army collapsed after an hour's fighting. Soon afterwards Arabi was captured and the war was won. William returned to the UK on 19 October 1882 having spent 73 days in Egypt. He later received the Egyptian Medal with Clasp for Tel-el-Kebir

The Battle of Tel-el-Kebir was celebrated by the notable (!) poet William McGonagall. His poem begins :

Ye sons of Great Britain, come join with me,
And sing in praise of Sir Garnet Wolseley;
Sound drums and trumpets cheerfully,
For he has acted most heroically.

William was discharged from the army on 3 July 1883 aged 42 on termination of his second period of engagement. His total service was 22 years 5 days. His army record states his character on being discharged as very good.

The record for the baptism of Joseph Edward Armitage at All Saints, Battersea lists William as a labourer living at 24B Victoria Dwellings.

In the 1891 census William Armitage’s age is given as 48 and his occupation as messenger at the Office of Works. He was living at 17 Chatham Street, Battersea with Kate (aged 44) and their children Thomas (19, a tailor’s porter), Ellen (12), John James (9) and Joseph (7).

By 1901, William (aged 60) and Kate (54) were living at North Lodge, Kensington Palace Gardens. Also in the household were their children Ellen (22, a dressmaker) and Joseph (17, an apprentice) as well as Annie Armitage (24), the wife of their son Robert Melton (who was in the British Army fighting the second Boer War in South Africa) and her son Henry Maclachlan (aged 1). William was a gatekeeper at Kensington Palace.

 Kensington Palace Gate

William in his gatekeeper's uniform

William's wife Kate died on February 25th 1911 aged 63. Probate records show that she left no will, but that administration of her estate (worth £436) was granted to William.

In the 1911 census William (aged 71) was still a gatekeeper living at North Lodge, Kensington Palace Gardens. He is listed as a widower. Also at the address were his daughter Ellen (32, a dressmaker) and grandchildren Henry (11) and Ellena (6). These were children of William’s son Robert who was in the army and whose wife Annie had died. He lived there until 1918.

The 1921 census shows William (79, a retired gatekeeper) living in 2 rooms at 35 Clanricarde Gardens, Kensington with his daughter Ellen (43, needleworker at home). He later moved to 21 Campden Street, Kensington, where he lived with his daughter Ellen until his death.

William died on 7 July 1926 in Kensington aged 85. He is buried in grave 48425, Kensal Green Cemetery. There is a separate item on this blog that contains photos of his grave.