Tower Bridge P.C.

Flook

Flook

A True Gentleman. Rest in Peace.
I have 4 children of the same family being discharged from Boyson Road Receiving Home in Walworth on 6th July 1917. They are being sent from Boyson Road to Tower Bridge P.C.

I'm probably being remarkably thick, but what does P.C. stand for?
 
Oh well, I think I've found the answer. It must be Tower Bridge police court in Tooley Street. So 4 children aged 5 to 11 were being sent to court. I wonder why?
 
Oh thank you Ann. The surname is Keeley. In 1917 the parents would have been Thomas Henry and Frances Elizabeth. The children were Mary, Alice, Thomas and William. I get the impression that around this time there was a rather serious disregard of marriage vows.....
 
Right, I can find nothing in the papers regarding the children and why they were sent to the Court (and remember, this was wartime and newspapers were considerably smaller than usual) BUT did you know the parents divorced in 1917? Take a look at
Code: 
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8013343
You can order a copy of the papers. Maybe the appearance in court was something to do with the divorce, as it was the same year.

I did find one mention of a Thomas Henry Keeley in the papers which may be yours - why it was in the Western Mail, I have no idea!
Western Mail 19th August 1915
Thomas Henry Keeley (31) a driver in the 36th Reserve Battery of the Royal Field Artillery, was charged at Lambeth Court with being an absentee from his corps since Sunday last. When arrested by Police Constable Hansford the prisoner said the reason he did not go back was that he had a child lying very ill in Belgrave Hospital. Mr Biron committed the prisoner to await a military escort. The prisoner, mentioning that the child might die at any moment, asked that he might be allowed to visit the hospital before he was handed over to the military authorities. "We will try and manage that for you" replied Mr Biron. His Worship gave instructions to police accordingly.
 
Well what can I say Ann. That's absolutely brilliant. I think you're right about the divorce - Frances Keeley was the wife and Charley Bowler was the co-respondent: a rogue and a liar from what I know of him. Interestingly the date of the divorce seems to confirm that yet one more of Frances's children was actually Charley's, not just the one we knew about! One redeeming feature is that Frances and Charley did marry (eventually!).

The story about the dying child is sadly quite true. His son Arthur must have died very soon after he appeared in court.
 
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