Life story shared by Paul Beecroft
IN
LOVING MEMORY
OF
HARRY ALLWIN RUMSEY
DIED AUGUST 2ND 1930 AGED 50 YEARS
ALSO
GEORGE LUCKING DIED AUG 11TH 1933 AGED 80 YEARS
ALSO
ANNIE ISABEL LUCKING DIED JANUARY 18TH 1940 AGED 89 YEARS
George LUCKING was born in Stanford Rivers, Essex in 1853. His birth was registered as George Edward LUCKING, but it appears that he dropped the name Edward and it does not appear again until probate is granted many years later. His early years have been difficult to trace. The census for 1861 shows only one George Lucking who was born in Stanford Rivers, and he resides in Lambourne, Essex just 11 miles from Stanford Rivers. At the time the census was taken, he is shown as living with Thomas LUCKING, his grandfather and he is seven years old. The census for 1871 confirms that he is still living in the Lambourne area, is 17 years old and working as an Agricultural Labourer.
He did not remain an Agricultural Labourer. Although the dates are not confirmed, at some point he joined the 102nd Regiment of Foot (Fusiliers) and served for six years.
On 31st July 1877, George joined the Reading Borough Police as a probationary constable. His record shows that he was from the parish of Stanford Rivers, was 5 feet 8 inches in height, fair complexion, dark hair, grey eyes and had served with 102nd Regiment of Foot.
On 3rd September 1877 he is appointed as a permanent constable having completed his probation period. On 26th December, some three months later, he received a severe reprimand for being drunk on duty in Silver Street at 11.10 pm. It was Christmas and it appears he had one too many!
On 9th March 1878, George married Annie Isabella COLEMAN at St. Giles Church in Reading. How they met is not known as there is no reliable information about Annie and some confusion as to the name Isabella or Isabel. The marriage was to result in the birth of three children – Ellen Georgina (1878), Caroline Jessie (1883) and Walter Thomas (1886).
The month following his marriage he received a promotion to Constable 2nd class.
Some of the incidents that the police had to deal with over 140 years ago, at least in part, are different from today. Some of course, are the same especially drunkenness and fighting.
On 12th June 1878, two cases involving George were heard in court:-
CHARGE OF UNLAWFUL HIDING – John DAVIS was charged with having, early on Tuesday morning been found in the garden of Miss Buckland, London-road by P.C. Lucking. He was discharged, it appearing that he was slightly the worse for liquor, and had no felonious intent.
STREET BRAWLING – Richard EVANS was charged by P.C. Lucking with committing a public annoyance by fighting with another man in Kings-road on the evening of Tuesday, and was fined 5s., and 3s. 6d costs or three days imprisonment in default.
On 28th January 1879, he was promoted once again and became a Constable 1st class.
On 27th April 1880, the Watch Committee awarded George the sum of 5/- (five shillings) for the apprehension of a deserter. No further details are known about this, but it was a fairly common occurrence then.
On Saturday 23rd October 1880, the Bench dealt with an unusual case, albeit, perhaps not unusual for that day and age –
FURIOUS DRIVING. – William Chase, dealer, was charged with having driven a horse furiously in St. Mary’s Butts, on the 19th instant. P.S. Lamacraft, P.C. Lucking, and a man named George Smith proved the offence, and defendant was fined 5s. and 11s. costs.
The census for 1881 shows George, Annie and their daughter Ellen, aged 2 years living at 12, St. John’s Hill, Reading.
On 18th July 1881, George went to the assistance of a lady who was being assaulted and ended up being assaulted himself. The following appeared in a local newspaper on 23rd July.
ASSAULTING THE POLICE – William Williams, alias “Dido,” was charged with assaulting P.C. Lucking and Sarah Beasley in Silver-street.
P.C. Lucking saw the defendant knock the woman down, and she then gave the defendant into Lucking’s charge. At the bottom of Silver-street the defendant struck Lucking on the jaw and knocked him down, fell upon him, and tried to throttle him. The defendant was pulled off the constable by Richard Deacon, of Trinity-place, Oxford Road, who corroborated the evidence of the constable. The officer then put the hand cuffs on the defendant who struck him again, and they struggled and fell. When on the ground the defendant bit the constable in the thigh. When the officer got up he had to hand the defendant over to two other constables, P.C. Randall and P.C. Collins, who took him to the Police Station. P.C. Lucking had the wound dressed by Mr. Maurice, the police surgeon who gave him a certificate of being unfit for duty, and he had done no duty since. The prisoner had had drink but was not drunk.
Anthony Harris, of Chatham Street also gave corroborative evidence.
Williams was committed for six months for the assault on the constable, and two months for the assault on the woman, eight months in all.
Cha Dyer was fined 4s. 6d. and 5s. 6d. costs for inciting Williams to resist P.C. Rendell and P.C. Collins on the way to the Police Station. The defendant was flourishing a stick and calling to “Dido” to give it to them and to kick them.
On Saturday, 25th November 1882 a number of fights and assaults on the police took place. A local newspaper recorded the events that took place under the heading of-
SERIOUS RIOTS IN READING
At the Reading Borough Bench, on Monday, the Magistrates heard several charges against men charged with assaulting the police in the town on Saturday night. The first case was against Robert GRANT, who was charged with committing a public nuisance, in St. Mary’s Butts, by fighting, on Saturday night; William Grant was charged with resisting P.C. Lucking; and Richard Grant, father of the other two, was charged with assaulting Lucking and P.C. Randall in the execution of their duty. They all pleaded guilty.
Chief Supt. Purchase briefly stated the facts, and said 200 or 300 people were present. There were other men, who came to the assistance of the police, knocked and kicked about, and one man was lying ill from a kick.
P.C. Lucking informed the Bench that shortly after eleven o’clock on Saturday night he saw Robert Grant fighting with another man. He took him into custody, but his brother and father attempted to get him away, the father also striking him.
P.C. Grant said P.C. Lewendon took hold of the elder Grant to get him away from his son, when he hit him (Lucking) under the cheek. They had great difficulty in getting him (the father) to the station. There was an enormous crowd of persons.
P.C. Lewendon said he was attracted by the great disturbance. He told the father to keep away, but he would not and witness took him into custody. Prisoner then struck him in the face, loosening a tooth and shattering others. They had great difficulty in getting him to the station.
P.C. Randall said the father knocked him in the thick part of the thigh, and he had a narrow escape of serious injury. He was also kicked several time in the back.
The Bench consulted, and fined Robert Grant £1 and 4s. 6d. costs or 14 days; William, £2 and costs, or one month’s imprisonment; and the father was sentenced to three months; imprisonment with hard labour.
In April 1887, George was on duty in Kings Road and was standing opposite Orts Road when he saw Daniel George Brown, a labourer at the Biscuit Factory suddenly fall forward and collapse. He rushed over to him and raised him up, but he died in about two minutes. George further stated that he saw nothing to account for the fall and no one was close to him at the time. An inquest was held, and it transpired that he [Daniel] had been complaining of a pain in the chest whilst at work, had been given a pass to go out and got an order from the time officer see a doctor. The order was in Mr. Brown’s hand when George found him. The jury returned a verdict of natural causes.
The census for 1891 shows the family have now moved from St. John’s Hill and are now resident at 7, The Grove. Ellen is now 12 years old, Caroline 7 years and Walter is 4 years old.
On 19th December 1892, George again found himself in trouble and for what can only be described as an extraordinary reason. He was reported for neglecting to report householders in Caversham Road for not cleansing the foot pavement and ignoring instructions given to him by the Inspector. He was given two hours extra duty, which he carried out on the 21st of December.
In April 1895, George was on duty in London Road one evening when a man was believed to have been about to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge into the river near the Biscuit Factory. A member of the public pulled the man off the parapet. On George’s arrival, the man was described as being ‘in a fit’ and George called for an ambulance as he feared for his safety. He was taken to the Police Station and whilst they were enroute the man said, “As true as God, if they had not pulled me off the bridge, I should have got into the water.” A doctor was called and confirmed that the man had been drinking and said to the doctor, “I own I done it. The reason I done it is I have no work.” He appeared in court and was remanded for a week for inquiries to be made into the state of his mind.
In November 1897 George dealt with another offence, which is most unlikely to occur today. The following was reported in the newspaper –
AN ACCIDENT IN LONDON STREET – Fred Langford, of 18, Arthur Road, admitted being drunk whilst in charge of a horse and cart in London street on the 7th inst. He admitted the charge. P.C. Lucking said the prisoner ran into a lamp in London street and broke the springs of the trap he was driving. Fined 20s. or 14 days.
In 1901 the census now shows the family at 77, Henry Street. Their daughter Caroline is now employed as a shop assistant and Walter is employed as an Auctioneer’s Clerk although he is only 14 years old. Ellen’s whereabouts are unknown.
Over the course of George’s police career he dealt with many problems and criminal offences such as shop robbery (now known as shop lifting), deserters, obstructions of the highway, playing football in the street, theft of property and beggars which was common in Reading. Without doubt he had a varied and interesting career and appears to have done an excellent job.
In 1903, at the age of 50 George made the decision to retire from the police. The Watch Committee granted him a pension of 21 shillings 8 pence per week for life, and he left the police on 31st July having served 26 years.
Following his retirement he became Head Porter at Reading University College in London Road, Reading and resided at 2, Redlands Road.
In October 1903, his daughter Caroline married Harry Allwin RUMSEY. Harry is mentioned on the grave in Reading Old Cemetery. He was born in Evesham, Worcestershire in 1880 and the 1911 census shows them resident at 32, Prince of Wales Avenue with a son George Harry who was born in 1905. His occupation is that of Butcher’s Assistant. The census for 1921 shows that they are now resident in Dorothy Street and Harry is a Caretaker for Katesgrove School. Nothing further is known about Harry who passed away at the Royal Berkshire Hospital on 2nd August 1930.
In July 1905, George’s daughter Ellen married Frank Rowland BUTCHER. They moved initially to Crowthorne. They had one son named Ernest.
Although the exact date is not known, his son Walter joined the army in 1906 or 1907 becoming a private in the 14th Hussars.
The census for 1911 confirms that George and Annie are still at 2, Redlands Road and George is still at Reading University College.
On 4th August 1914, Britain entered the First World War. Just 13 days later, Walter, now a Sergeant and with the 20th Hussars landed in France and two days later was fighting in the trenches. In early 1915 Walter was mentioned in despatches. He had been involved in thirty two engagements which included covering the retreat of the infantry at Mons, the Battle of the Aisne and the severe fighting around Ypres. Sadly, on 27th January 1916 whilst in the trenches he was killed by shell fire. He is now buried in France and is commemorated on the plaque of the University of Reading War Memorial clock tower as he had previously been an evening student there.
In July 1917, George, unfortunately, found himself on the wrong side of the law, which in all probability was unfair and not his fault. By 1917, most of England (some reports state all of England) had an enforced blackout to prevent enemy bombers, particularly Zeppelins from targetting particular areas and to protect civilians. It was a requirement to obscure indoor lights from outdoor view. Street lights were either dimmed or switched off. On Wednesday 25th July, George appeared before the court for being the person having the control of the lights of a room at Reading University College on July 21st. George pleaded guilty to this. An apology was made to the court and a representative of the University explained that the light was in a private room occupied by a Professor who was currently away, and no explanation could be given as to why the light was on. The Bench imposed a penalty of 20s.
George retired in 1924 after 21 years of being Head Porter. In total, George had spent 53 years of his life wearing a uniform. Six years in the army, twenty six years in the Reading Borough Police and twenty one years as head porter at Reading University College. Following his retirement George and Annie moved from Redlands Road to a house named ‘Boveny’ in Winnersh.
On 9th March 1928, George and Annie celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary. A photograph of them appeared in the Reading Standard.
On 11th August 1933, George passed away in the Royal Berkshire Hospital. His funeral would have taken place a few days later and it appears that it was a quiet affair as no mention was made in local newspapers although a personal message was printed on 18th August in the Reading Standard:-
Mrs LUCKING and DAUGHTERS wish to thank all friends for kind expression of sympathy and floral tributes in their sad bereavement.
Annie passed away on 18th January 1940 at the age of 89 years. She remained living at the house in Winnersh until her death.
Division 74, Row E, Plot 4