Person:William Meekins (3)

James George Meekins was born on 29th December 1891 at the infirmary adjoining the Woolwich Union Workhouse at Plumstead in the south-eastern suburbs of London. He was the son of a laundry hand and field hand called Alice Meekins, formerly Keating, and her husband Henry Meekins, a coal porter, dock labourer and general dealer. His birth was registered under the name William on 9th January 1892 by his mother, but when he was baptised at St Peter’s Catholic Church in Woolwich on 22nd February 1892 he was given the name James George instead. He was later generally known by his middle name as George.

As a child, George was a frequent visitor to the Woolwich Union Workhouse. Indeed, his mother and half-brother Jack (who was eleven years old) had been admitted to the workhouse on 10th December 1891, a couple of weeks before his birth. A note against his mother Alice’s name records that her husband Henry had left her on 3rd December. Alice was then transferred to the infirmary, being heavily pregnant with George, whilst Jack stayed in the workhouse until 10th February 1892, a few weeks after George’s birth.

In May 1896, four-year old George was admitted to the workhouse with his older brother Edward and their mother, who was heavily pregnant with twins. Their father had again deserted. George and Edward stayed in the workhouse whilst their mother went to the infirmary to give birth. After six weeks in the workhouse the boys were discharged to their mother.

Over the next few years, George would be admitted to the workhouse many times, often following his father deserting the family. Sometimes George would be sent from the workhouse to a children’s home at Orpington, before returning to the Woolwich workhouse to be discharged. In January 1902 George’s older brother Edward, who was thirteen, was sent by the authorities from the workhouse to an old ship used for training sailors. In November 1904 George’s four younger sisters were taken into care by the authorities after being found destitute wandering in the streets of Woolwich.

By 1911 George had joined the army and was serving as a private in the First Worcestershire Regiment, which at that time was based at Albany Barracks near Newport on the Isle of Wight.

George settled on the Isle of Wight. In 1912 he married Maria Louisa Rossi (who was known by her middle name). She had been working as a street musician in the previous year’s census. George and Louisa went on to have three sons between 1913 and 1916, all born at Newport on the Isle of Wight.

George’s father died in 1917 in Kent. The family briefly lived at Salford in Lancashire around the time of the 1921 census, but had returned to the Isle of Wight by 1925.

In 1925 George was convicted of stealing a rabbit net. In 1926 he appears to have been involved in a fight in Newport. When two policemen arrived George walked away but the others involved in the fight carried on fighting with the police. Louisa was present too and gave evidence in court afterwards as to what had happened, but was herself found to have obstructed the police and she was fined £1.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, George and Louisa were living at 32 Caesars Road in Newport. George was working as a clipper machinist working with aeronautical plywood, and was also serving as an Air Raid Precautions warden. Louisa’s mother was living with them.

George’s mother died in 1945 in Kent.

George and Louisa later left the Isle of Wight and moved to the Maidstone area of Kent. Louisa died there in 1959, aged 65.

In 1961, aged about 70, George remarried. His second wife was Enid Mary Lucy Bartholomew (formerly Hewitt), who was a widow. She was generally known as Mary.

George died on 21st October 1970 at Linton Hospital at Coxheath, near Maidstone. He was 78 years old. His last address was given as 2 Kent House, Northumberland Road, Maidstone. His death certificate acknowledges the different names from his birth and baptism records, calling him “James George otherwise William Meekins”. He was described as a retired bricklayer. Mary survived him by just over ten years.

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

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT Woolwich
   1892 BIRTH in the Sub-district of East Plumstead in the County of London
   No.	When and where born	Name, if any	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden name of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   464	Twenty ninth December 1891 The Infirmary	William	Boy	Henry Meekins	Alice Meekins formerly Keating of 9 Cannon Row Woolwich	Coal Porter	Alice Meekins Mother The Infirmary, Plumstead	Ninth January 1892	W.J. Vincent Registrar

2. ↑ Woolwich, London: Parish Registers of St Peter the Apostle (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark).

   Approximate transcript
   Die 29 Decembris 1891 natus et die 22 Februarii 1892 baptizatus est Jacobus Georgius Meekins filius Henrici et Alice Meekings (olim Kating) conjugum:
   a me Jacobus Groomes
   Patrinus fuit Georgius Channing absens Matrina fuit Jane Channings
   [in margin:] Edem contranit matrimonium cum Maria Louisa Rossie die 19 Martii 1914 in Ecclesia S[anc]ti Thomas apud Newport, Insula Vectis
   T.H.
   Approximate translation
   The 29th December 1891 born and the 22nd February 1892 baptised was James George Meekins son of Henry and Alice Meekins (formerly Keating) his wife
   by me James Groomes
   Godfather George Channing absent Godmother Jane Channings
   [in margin:] Married Maria Louisa Rossi 19th March 1914 at St Thomas's Church, Newport, Isle of Wight

3.   London: Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records (London Metropolitan Archives, London).
   Summary table of information drawn from Admission, Discharge and Creed registers.
   

   Admitted	Discharged	Workhouse	Notes
   23 May 1896	4 Jul 1896	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother, "Husband Henry deserted", and brother Edward. Mother transferred to Infirmary 25 May. Discharged with brother to mother.
   11 Mar 1897	24 Mar 1897	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother, "Husband Henry left her Friday 5 March 97", and siblings Edward, and Catherine. Discharged with mother and siblings.
   30 Apr 1898	21 May 1898	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother, "Husband Henry deserted her 25th", and siblings Edward, Mary, and Catherine. Discharged to infirmary.
   27 May 1898	25 Jun 1898	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted from infirmary. Discharged with mother and brother Edward.
   23 Nov 1898	28 Nov 1898	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother and siblings Edward, Mary Ann, and Catherine. Discharged with mother and siblings.
   29 Nov 1898	17 Jan 1899	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother and siblings Edward and Mary Ann. Discharged with mother and siblings.
   19 Oct 1899	22 Feb 1900	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother and siblings Edward, Mary, Catherine, and Ann [Hannah]. Discharged to Orpington with brother Edward.
   24 May 1900	26 May 1900	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted from Orpington with brother Edward. Discharged to mother.
   7 Nov 1901	20 Jan 1901	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother, "Husband Henry deserted", and siblings Edward, Mary Ann, Kate [Catherine], and Hannah. Discharged to Orpington.
   5 Jun 1902	6 Jun 1902	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted from Orpington, "Parents in House". Discharged with mother and siblings.
   2 Dec 1902	18 Dec 1902	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with parents and siblings Kate, Hannah, and Alice. Discharged with mother and siblings.
   24 Jan 1903	30 Jan 1903	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother, "Husband Henry, 42, left her 19th Jan 1903", and siblings Catherine, Hannah, and Alice. Discharged with mother and siblings.
   6 Feb 1903	13 Feb 1903	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother and siblings Catherine, Hannah, and Alice. Discharged with mother and siblings.
   23 Feb 1903	7 Mar 1903	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother and siblings Catherine, Hannah, and Alice, "Father Henry in Infirmary". Discharged with mother and siblings.
   9 Oct 1903	3 Nov 1903	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother, "Husband Henry left her 7th Oct", and siblings Mary Ann, Catherine, Hannah, and Alice. Discharged to Orpington.
   15 Apr 1904	16 Apr 1904	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted from Orpington. Discharged with mother and siblings.
   4 May 1904	6 May 1904	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with parents and siblings Mary Ann, Catherine, Hannah, and Alice. Discharged with parents and siblings.
   9 Nov 1905	18 Nov 1905	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with mother, "Husband Henry left her 7 Nov", and sister Margaret. Father admitted 14 Nov 1905. Discharged with parents and sister.
   23 Jan 1906	22 Feb 1906	Woolwich Union Workhouse	Admitted with parents, "Four children at school in Croydon", and sister Margaret. Discharged with parents and sister.

4. ↑ 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 5714; Page 6, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Albany Barracks, Parkhurst, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight
   [many soldiers, including:]
   George Meekins, Private, 21 [1889/90], single, 1 Worcestershire Reg[imen]t, b. Woolwich, Kent

5. ↑ General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Newport Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 32 Caesars Road, Newport, Isle of Wight
   Meekins, James G. / male / b. 29 Dec 1891 / married / Clipper machinist aeronautical plywood / A.R.P.
   Meekins, Louisa M. / female / b. 18 Dec 1893 / married / Unpaid Domestic Duties
   [one record closed]
   Moslin, Philomena / female / b. 24 Nov 1859 / widow / Unpaid Domestic Duties
   Low, Angela J. / female / b. 14 Mar 1930 / single / at school
   [one record closed]

6. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   No. 115
   Registration district: Maidstone
   Sub-district: North Downs
   Administrative area: County of Kent
   Date and place of death: Twentieth October 1970, Linton Hospital, Coxheath
   Name and surname: James George otherwise William MEEKINS
   Sex: Male
   Date and place of birth: 29th December 1891, Plumstead, Greenwich
   Occupation and usual address: a Bricklayer (retired), 2 Kent House, Northumberland Road, Maidstone
   Name and surname of informant: Enid Mary Lucy Meekins
   Qualification: Widow of deceased
   Usual address: 2 Kent House, Northumberland Road, Maidstone
   Cause of death: Ia. Glioma Astrocytoma Grade III Certified by D.M. Williamson M.B.
   Registered: Twenty first October 1970

7.   Portsmouth Evening News, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 6, Monday 4 May 1925.

   At Newport, on Saturday, before Mr. G. Shedden (Chairman) and a full bench…
   Rabbit Nets Stolen.
   James G. Meekins, and Leonard Hall, labourers, of Newport, were charged at the same court with stealing a rabbit net, valued at £3 3s., belonging to James E. Cooper, of Carisbrooke, in March last.
   Cooper said he missed the net and some rabbits from a locked shed at Garston’s Farm, Gatcombe, the door of the shed having been forced by the removal of staples.
   William Morris said that in February he let defendant have his rabbit net to dispose of, and during March defendant brought back a net which witness did not examine, and afterwards sold. This net was identified by Cooper as the one stolen from the shed.
   P.C. Homewood said that when questioned Hall stated he met Meekins as he was returning home from Carisbrooke early in March, and at Meekins’s request went with him to Garston’s, where Meekins forced the shed door and took the net and rabbits. Hall admitted that an insurance form picked up near the shed belonged to him.
   Meekins and Hall now denied the charge, and Meekins said the net produced was that he had for sale in February, and did not belong to prosecutor. He denied going to Garston’s, and Hall now contradicted the admission he was alleged to have made to the police.- The Bench considered the case clearly proved, and fined each defendant £5, or in default one month’s imprisonment.

8.   Portsmouth Evening News, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 9, 6 Jul 1926.

   INSPECTOR MAULED AT NEWPORT.
   STREET ROUGH AND TUMBLE.
   At the Newport Borough Police Court yesterday before the Mayor (Alderman J.C. Millgate) and other Justices, John Lockyer (33), labourer, of Barton’s Village, defended by Mr. H.R. Palmer, was summoned for assaulting Police-Inspector Oliver Sibbick and Prison Officer E.J. Bartlett.
   Inspector Sibbick said that on the night of the 26th ult., he and P.C. Wheatcroft went towards a crowd in St. Thomas’s Square, where two men named Meekins and Hobbs had started fighting. Meekins walked away on their approach and Hobbs was taken away by friends, including defendant. Hobbs was still creating a disturbance and when the constable spoke to him defendant pushed him back. The inspector went to the constable’s assistance, and as defendant was making another rush at the constable the inspector stopped him and told him to keep back and go away quietly. Defendant then struck the inspector a violent blow on the mouth with his fist and the inspector closed with him and they fell to the ground. When allowed to get up defendant started kicking him in the legs, and the inspector threw him on the ground with the intention of putting on the handcuffs, but was prevented from doing so by several of defendant’s friends pulling him back. Defendant’s brother Joseph pulled him back off the defendant, who, then kicked him twice in the face – on the forehead and on the side of the face which resulted in a scar on his forehead and two black eyes and he was bruised on both legs. Prison Office Bartlett came to his assistance and also Provost-Sergeant N.C. Millan, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and defendant struggled and kicked on the way to the police station.
   In cross-examination he strongly denied a suggestion of Mr. Palmer that he first struck defendant, saying he never struck him at all.
   P.C. Wheatcroft and Prison Officer Bartlett gave corroborative evidence, the latter saying that when he went to the assistance of Inspector Sibbick he received two blows on the left eye and leg from defendant’s foot.
   Defendant gave evidence saying that he was trying to get Hobbs away when he received a blow on the mouth from the inspector, which knocked him down, and he then defended himself and had a rough and tumble on the ground.
   Defendant’s wife and sister-in-law and Mrs. Meekins gave supporting evidence.
   The Bench fined defendant £5, in default one month, the Mayor saying that but for defendant’s record of war service he would have been more severely dealt with.
   The Bench commended Prison Officer Bartlett for assisting the police and congratulated him on doing what any Englishman should do.
   Superintendent Salter said the police wished to thank Office Bartlett and Sergt. McMillan very much indeed for the assistance they gave to the police.
   Joseph Lockyer, Kate Lockyer, Charlotte Lockyer, and Louisa Maria Meekins, were each fined £1 for obstructing the police on the occasion referred to.

9. ↑ 1921 Census of England and Wales.

   Address: 71 Bury Street, Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire
   Meekins, George / lodger / 29y 6m [1891] / male / married / b. Woolwich, Kent / Scaffolder
   Meekins, Louisa / wife / 26y 6m [1894] / female / married / b. Newport, Isle of Wight, Hampshire / House Wife
   Meekins, George Henry / son / 8y 5m [1912/13] / male / b. Newport, Isle of Wight, Hampshire
   Meekins, Joseph Edward / son / 6y [1914/15] / male / b. Newport, Isle of Wight, Hampshire
   Meekins, James William / son / 4y 10m [1916] / male / b. Newport, Isle of Wight, Hampshire