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Joseph Lester 1887

B

Black Country Boy

proper brummie kid
Hello, I am new to this forum and was hoping for some help. I am tracing my wife’s family tree and came across a relative of hers Joesph Lester in 1887. He and his girlfriend Theresa Rooney were tried for manslaughter of a Colonel. I am trying to trace their steps on the night The colonel was going to the opera then went to the Great Western Hotel by Snow Hill. He met Thersa who happened to be a lady of the night in a pub called Redpaths liquor vaults in Bull Street and They then visited Fox’s liquor vaults I think was in Lancaster Street on the way to her home at Bagot Street. Joseph was drinking earlier in the day in The Trees then The Dolphin. My question Is there any photos of Redpaths, Fox’s The Trees, or The Dolphin, and would Redpaths and Fox’s be the original names of the Liquor vaults or are they local names, I have paper clippings of the trial which was followed as far as Australia so big news in those days unlike today the story probably wouldn’t even make the front page, in the local paper
 

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From directories it looks as if "Redpath" was the licensee as he is listed in Bull Street. This is the 1890 entry. In 1883 he is at the Rose and Punch Bowl but not the Britannia - at another pub in Dale End called the Red Cow. I can't check 1887 as that directory is not online.
1728910843674.png
 
interesting...we would need to know the locations of the trees and the dolphin as there was more than one of those names in birmingham

off the top of my head i know there was a dolphin pub in unett st and hospital st both in the newtown area

bagot st was off lancaster st again in the newtown area

lyn
 
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Fox and Co seem to be wine merchants who also ran liquor establishements.
1883 entry but by 1890 The Trees was no longer listed.
1728911267204.png
Interestingly The Trees is not listed under Public houses in either directory.
 
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Theresa Rooney, Joseph Lester Senior, Ann Lester his wife and Joseph hester junior, committed to trial for the murder of Colonel Fendall. March 1887.
Looks like more are involved and notice the charge of murder and not manslaughter.
Rooney and JL junior were released after three months for manslaughter.
 
There are newspaper reports from February through to December in 1887 -
Intriguingly the two were married by licence in August;
Western Daily Press - Tuesday 23 August 1887.jpg
 
Released on 13th August and marriage reported on 23rd. One article says the bride was given away by her Father and the couple left for a honeymoon in London.
The marriage attracted an excited crowd from "the rough element".
 
just to add that looking at the addresses given ie farm street..hunters vale and bagot street we have threads for all of these with lots of old photos which maybe of interest to black country boy...use search box top right of the page

lyn
 
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Black Country Boy mentions the Great Western Hotel, Redpath's liquor vaults in Bull Street, Fox's liquor vaults possibly in Lancaster Street. The Trees and the Dolphin, and one he didn't mention is Scotch House.
Not bad for a day's drinking.
 
Thanks all, very informative as I hoped it would be.1891 Thersa and Joe went to live in London for a short time but came back between 1892 -1901 to live in Villa Street where is mother and sister lived. As far as i am aware Joe died aged 40 in 1902 but I am still reasearching this fact. Theresa on the other hand was an habitual thief and used various aliasis. I have attached a prison photo of her in 1908 i have copies of her prison records and a newspaper copies of thier trial in 1887. Unfortunatley i am having trouble uploading them as they are to large to upload. They were both found guilty but the Judge overturned the decision, dismissed the Jury installed a new jury and told them they must find them not guilty of murder. Which they did..
 

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pjmburns said:
From directories it looks as if "Redpath" was the licensee as he is listed in Bull Street. This is the 1890 entry. In 1883 he is at the Rose and Punch Bowl but not the Britannia - at another pub in Dale End called the Red Cow. I can't check 1887 as that directory is not online.
View attachment 195768
Click to expand...
I thought this would be the case a lot of pubs in those days were known by the licencece
 
Black Country Boy said:
Thanks all, very informative as I hoped it would be.1891 Thersa and Joe went to live in London for a short time but came back between 1892 -1901 to live in Villa Street where is mother and sister lived. As far as i am aware Joe died aged 40 in 1902 but I am still reasearching this fact. Theresa on the other hand was an habitual thief and used various aliasis. I have attached a prison photo of her in 1908 i have copies of her prison records and a newspaper copies of thier trial in 1887. Unfortunatley i am having trouble uploading them as they are to large to upload. They were both found guilty but the Judge overturned the decision, dismissed the Jury installed a new jury and told them they must find them not guilty of murder. Which they did..
Click to expand...

I don't think he died in 1902, his father (also Joseph) possibly did but Joseph appears to be back in London in 1911 and 1921.
 
Pedrocut said:
Theresa Rooney, Joseph Lester Senior, Ann Lester his wife and Joseph hester junior, committed to trial for the murder of Colonel Fendall. March 1887.
Looks like more are involved and notice the charge of murder and not manslaughter.
Rooney and JL junior were released after three months for manslaughter.
Click to expand...
Thanks It was Strange they got three months as the case before thiers a young destitute mother couldnt feed her infant and allowed it to pass away was hung. Same Judge strange decision.
 
Pedrocut said:
Black Country Boy mentions the Great Western Hotel, Redpath's liquor vaults in Bull Street, Fox's liquor vaults possibly in Lancaster Street. The Trees and the Dolphin, and one he didn't mention is Scotch House.
Not bad for a day's drinking.
Click to expand...
The Colonel went missing for twenty minutes before he met Theresa in Redpaths no record of him in that time so could have had another drink somewhere else. Not heard of the Scotch House
 
Black Country Boy said:
Thanks all, very informative as I hoped it would be.1891 Thersa and Joe went to live in London for a short time but came back between 1892 -1901 to live in Villa Street where is mother and sister lived. As far as i am aware Joe died aged 40 in 1902 but I am still reasearching this fact. Theresa on the other hand was an habitual thief and used various aliasis. I have attached a prison photo of her in 1908 i have copies of her prison records and a newspaper copies of thier trial in 1887. Unfortunatley i am having trouble uploading them as they are to large to upload. They were both found guilty but the Judge overturned the decision, dismissed the Jury installed a new jury and told them they must find them not guilty of murder. Which they did..
Click to expand...

any idea what number villa street they lived at...
 
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