Person:Levi Hucklesby (1)

Levi Hucklesby was born in 1851 at Luton in Bedfordshire, son of a bonnet sewer called Harriet Hucklesby, formerly Burton, and her husband Charles Hucklesby, a blocker. He appears in the 1861 census living with his parents and siblings at 35 Albert Road in the southern suburbs of the town. In 1866 Levi was one of six boys convicted of stealing wine at the Rifle Corps Fete, and was sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment.

On 25th March 1871, aged 19, Levi married Rebecca Kempson. The 1871 and and 1881 censuses both find them living in Langley Place, a terrace of small houses off New Town Street, very close to Albert Road. In 1876 and again in 1877 Levi was prosecuted for assaulting Rebecca. On the second occasion, Rebecca said she would be glad to be separated from him. However, they continued having children together, having nine children together between 1871 and 1888, although at least two died young.

By 1891, they were living at 48 Albert Road. Rebecca died in 1896, aged 46.

The year after Rebecca's death, Levi was back in court, described as of no fixed abode. He was convicted of vagrancy, sleeping in an unoccupied house on Chobham Street.

In 1899, Levi was brought before the Board of Guardians over whether he should be allowed to stay in the Luton Union Workhouse. It was claimed that he was able-bodied yet did not work to support himself. He said he had had a stroke and was unable to find work. He appears to have been allowed to stay in the workhouse, appearing there in both the 1901 and 1911 censuses.

Levi died in 1923, aged 71.

1. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Levi HUCKLESBY, December Quarter 1851, Luton Registration District, Volume 6, page 111, mother's maiden name Burton

2. ↑ England. Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. (FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast).

   ch. 7 Mar 1852, St Mary, Luton, Bedfordshire: Levi son of Charles & Harriot Hucklesby

   Needs to be confirmed at Bedfordshire Archives.

3. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 1012; Folio 116; Page 26, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: 35 Albert Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Charles Hucklesby, head, married, male, 40 [1820/1], Blocker, b. Stopsley, Bedfordshire
   Harriet Hucklesby, wife, married, female, 39 [1821/2], Bonnet Sewer, b. Pepperstock, Hertfordshire
   Fredk Hucklseby, son, male, 14 [1846/7], Blocker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Levi Hucklesby, son, male, 9 [1851/2], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Kate Hucklesby, daughter, female, 5 [1855/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   David Hucklesby, son, male, 2 [1858/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Hucklesby, daughter, female, 1 [1859/60], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Harriet Hucklesby, niece, unmarried, female, 17 [1843/4], Bonnet Sewer, b. Pepperstock, Hertfordshire
   Martha Catlin, boarder, female, 14 [1847/8], S[er]v[an]t, b. St Albans, Hertfordshire

4. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1571; Folio 79; Page 16, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 13 Langley Place, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Allen, head, married, female, 43 [1827/8], Sewer, b. Annan, Scotland
   Aggness McMartrie Allen, daughter, unmarried, female, 13 [1857/8], Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Allen, son, male, 7 [1863/4], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   ~
   Levi Hucklesby, lodger, married, male, 20 [1850/1], Blocker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Rebbeca Hucklesby, wife, married, female, 21 [1849/50], Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   ~
   Henery Farmer, lodger, married, male, 23 [1847/8], Basket Maker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Jane Farmer, wife, married, female, 28 [1842/3], Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   George Farmer, son, male, 2 [1868/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ellen Farmer, daughter, female, 11 months [1870], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1651; Folio 81; Page 26, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 15 Langley Place, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Levi Hucklesby, head, married, male, 29 [1851/2], Straw Hat Manufacturer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Rebecca Hucklesby, wife, married, female, 31 [1849/50], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Albert Hucklesby, son, male, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Jane Hucklesby, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Clara Hucklesby, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Hucklesby, son, male, 3 [1877/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Charles Hucklesby, son, male, 5 mo [1880], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1273; Folio 93; Pages 23, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 48 Albert Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Levi Hucklesby, head, married, male, 40 [1850/1], Hat Blocker, employer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Rebecca Hucklesby, wife, married, female, 41 [1849/50], Hat Finisher, employer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Albert Hucklesby, son, single, male, 20 [1870/1], Bricklayers Labourer, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Jane Hucklesby, daughter, single, female, 17 [1873/4], Sees to the House, employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Clara Hucklesby, daughter, single, female, 16 [1874/5], Nothing, neither employer nor employed, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Hucklesby, son, single, male, 11 [1879/80], School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Harriet Hucklesby, daughter, single, female, 9 [1881/2], School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Gertrude Hucklesby, daughter, single, female, 3 [1887/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Seliena Hucklesby, daughter, single, female, 2 [1888/9], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

7. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1518; Folio 134; Page 7, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Luton Union Workhouse, Luton, Bedfordshire
   many inmates, including:
   Hucklesby, Levi, pauper inmate, widower, male, 51 [1849/50], Straw Hat Blocker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

8. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 9027, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Luton Union Workhouse, Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   many inmates, including:
   Levi Hucklesby, inmate, 65 [1845/6], Straw Hat Blocker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire

9. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Levi HUCKLESBY, June Quarter 1923, Luton Registration District, Volume 3b, page 400, aged 73 [1849/50]

10.   Bedfordshire Times and Independent, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    25 Aug 1866.

    LUTON.
    PETTY SESSIONS - MONDAY, AUGUST 20TH, 1866.
    Before Colonel Ames (chairman) and the Rev. H.B. Smyth.
    WINE STEALING BY BOYS.-Levi Hucklesby (16), Charles Hawkes (16), Frederick Cumberland (16), George Leper (15), Charles Caton (14), and Thomas Bland (14), were charged with stealing ten bottles of wine on the 13th inst., value £2 10s.-John Brown deposed as follows: I had charge of a tent for Mr. Critchley at the Rifle Corps Fete on Monday last, and in the tent was a quantity of wine, consisting of port and sherry. Between ten and eleven at night I missed ten bottles of wine - six port and four sherries; they were under the counter in the tent. I gave information to the police. Soon after police constable Daniels showed me two bottles, which corresponded with those I had lost. The wine was worth £2 10s -. George Daniels deposed: Whilst Mr. Brown was giving me information on the night of the 13th I heard some bottles rattling, and on looking round I saw the prisoners, Hawkes and Hucklesby, and I found the two bottles produced in Hucklesby's pocket. I charged him with stealing them, and he said, "I took one and Hawkes took the other." On charging Hawkes he said, "I did not take any, but drank some of the wine." On the way to the station Hucklesby said, "There was me, Hawkes, Squires, Cumberland, Bland, Leper, and Caton; we all took some and drank it behind the tent, and then threw the bottles over the hedge. We crept under the tent to get at the bottles." Only Hawkes was present when Hucklesby said this. On the following morning I found the pieces of bottles produced. When I took Bland into custody he said, "I did not take any." He afterwards said, "I took one bottle." I went, in company with police-constable Marriner, to Caton's house, and found a bottle half filled with port and an empty bottle. I took Caton into custody, and charged him with stealing the wine. He said, "I helped to drink it, and it made me drunk." At the station I charged all the prisoners with stealing the wine, when Hawkes said, "I took none, but I drank some." The others said, "We all had some, and are as bad as each other." - Police-constable Marriner corroborated. - The boys were the severally chaged with the offence, and they all pleaded guilty except Caton, who said, "I drank some of the wine, but did not know it was stolen." - The Chairman told him he was equally guilty with the others. Superintendent Pope said Leper, Caton, and Hucklesby had been before the Bench on a previous occation. - The Chairman said the magistrates felt the greatest possible reluctance in sending boys of their age to gaol, but there was no alternative, and therefore Caton, Hucklesby and Leper would be imprisoned for 21 days' each, and the others to 10 days' each.

11.   Luton Times and Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    24 Jun 1876.

    LUTON BOROUGH SESSIONS.
    MONDAY LAST.
    Before Mr W. Bigg, (Mayor) and Mr A.T. Welch.
    ASSAULT CASE.
    Levi Hucklesby, blocker of New Town was charged on remand with assaulting his wife Rebecca on the 6th inst., at Luton. - The offence was proved, and defendant was fined by the Bench 10s. and 10s, expenses, or 21 days' imprisonment with hard labour.

12.   Luton Times and Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    26 Oct 1877.

    LUTON BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS.
    WIFE BEATING.
    Levi Hucklesby, blocker, New own-street [sic], pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife.
    On Tuesday night, about 10.30, he wanted to send a girl living in their house for some beer. She objected to it, it he would send. When the girl had gone out, he struck her in the face with his doubled fists, and treated her very badly. The wife said she should be glad to be separated from him.
    Prisoner was sentenced to two months' hard labour, and afterwards to find sureties for six months.

13.   Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    27 May 1897.

    VAGRANT SENT TO PRISON. - At the Borough Police-court on Saturday morning, before the Mayor (Alderman A.J. Hucklesby), and Mr. J. Higgins, Levi Hucklesby, of no fixed abode, was charged with committing an act of vagrancy, by sleeping in an unoccupied house in Chobham-street, on May 22nd. - He pleaded guilty. - P.c. Attwood said he found prisoner in the house at a quarter past two that morning, and he took him to the Police-office. He found three empty purses, two knives, and a wooden pipe. - Witness was sent specially to that house to arrest the man. In reply to a question as to how prisoner got in, witness stated that the door was open, and one glass-pane of a window was smashed. - Prisoner denied breaking the window. - He was sent to St. Albans for seven days, Mr. Hucklesby advising him to go into the infirmary if he was not well.

14.   Bedfordshire Advertiser [indexed as Luton Times and Advertiser], in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    20 Jan 1899.

    LUTON BOARD OF GUARDIANS.
    AN ABLE-BODIED PAUPER.
    The Luton Relieving Office reported that one of the able-bodied paupers sent out of the house at the last meeting had returned.
    The Chairman asked the Guardians if they would put up with this? Here was a man able to work and work plentiful, and yet he would not do it.
    The Rev. Canon Macaulay said he felt very strongly about these men, and suggested that the pauper, whose name was Hucklesby, should be again brought before the Board (hear, hear).
    The Chairman said they ought to deal severly with these men. The law permitted the magistrates to send them to prison for a month if they had a chance of work and refused.
    The man was brought into the Board room, and stated that his name was Levi Hucklesby. He said that he went out of the House a fortnight previously, but came back. He had had a paralytic stoke, and he was not able to work as in the past. His brain was affected and sometimes he did not know what he was doing.
    Canon Macaulay: If you can't get full wages as a blocker, can't you get reduced wages? - No, sir, I have tried all I could.
    The Rev. F. Thompson: Is there any other work that you can do? - I don't mind what it is so long as I get employment.
    The Chairman: Tried work as an agricultural labourer? - No, I have not been brought up to it. It makes a lot of difference when you are not used to field work.
    Are you a single man? - I am now.
    Have you a family? - I have two sons, one in India and another in London, and one daughter.
    Canon Macaulay: Do you know the address of the son in London? - No.
    What's his trade? - He is in the straw trade.
    What's his firm? - I don't know.
    Mr. Cook: Does your daughter know his firm or address? - Yes.
    Won't she give us the information? - I don't know.
    Canon Macaulay: Why won't your daughter tell? - I expect it is because you gentlemen would begin to trouble her (laughter).
    The Chairman: You ought not to be here? - When I was out I had nowhere to go, and I had to sleep out at night, and I made up my mind to come back again.
    The Chairman: It's not fair to the rate-payers to keep people here if there is work to be got.
    Canon Macaulay: If you could get 8s. a week could you live? - Yes, but it's getting hold of the work to do.
    The Chairman: If you could not get regular work you might get in with a small manufacturer? - They might employ me for a day or two.
    Hucklesby then retired.
    Mr. A. Gutteridge suggested that the Board should find out about the son.
    Mr. J. Cook thought the best course would be to have the man medically examined and find out if there was anything the matter with him. He professed that he had had a stroke, but if he was a shuffler they ought to shift him out of the house (laughter).
    The Master: He has been kept at work here; hard at it.
    The Chairman: There would be no difficulty about getting the doctor's certificate.
    The Relieving Officer stated that Hucklesby was 47 years of age.
    Mr. J. Facer said he had known the man for a number of years. He was a member of the Hucklebsy's in New Town-street, who were a very respectable family. He had two brothers in the town who were manufacturers, and he could not understand how this man got into such unfortunate circumstances.
    Canon Macaulay: He has had a stroke.
    Mr Facer said that perhaps would account for it. The man did not look very strong, and he did not think he could do a hard day's work.
    The Master: He had been at work here on the sleepers.