Some stories are told because they’re interesting, or
because they’re relevant to our families or our histories. But some stories are
told because they want to be told. What do I mean by this?
I want to try and tell the story of a young woman from the
19th Century whose life had descended a self-destructive downward
spiral. Her young life was in chaos until it was finally taken away from her at
the age of 31, but what might have driven her to this? Who was she, and where
did she come from?
The story begins in 1871 with two relatives of mine: Edwin
(38) and Hannah (34) Elliott, living at 1 Bag Lane (Court 3), Derby. Edwin was
an iron-works labourer. Lodging with them was a 20-year-old Ellen Poland, a
cotton mill hand from Nottingham.[1]
Ellen was no relation to Edwin and Hannah that I’m aware of, but a distant
cousin of mine, Jim Elliott, said he had noticed several newspaper references
to her, mostly in the context of drunkenness and prostitution, and that she
might be worth researching.
Although the census indicated that she was born in
Nottingham in c1850, I could see no obvious birth or baptism for her. Also, I
couldn’t see her in the preceding census years. Clearly I was going to have to
work at this. She was in the subsequent 1881 census, though. She was boarding,
along with several other lodgers and boarders, at 3 Providence Court,
Nottingham, just below York Court off Millstone Lane, and her occupation was a
silk mill hand.[2]
Unfortunately, this was also the year that she died and so the census alone
wasn’t going to reveal much about her.
Luckily, there was more than enough material reported in the
newspapers to get a picture of her life. The following is a chronological list
of the mentions of Ellen in the Nottingham and Derby newspapers.
[1861, Nottm.] Ellen Poland,
about eleven years of age, and Margaret Burne, about twelve, were charged with
stealing a small fancy basket, the property of Mr. Wm. H. Watts, 9, Angel Row. —
A shopman of Mr. Watts's identified the basket as part of of [sic] his master's property, and pointed
out to the Mayor the private mark. — The Mayor said that he should remand the
two girls to Wednesday. Mrs. Poland asked if the Bench was going to remand her
child without making any inquiries? — P.c. Birken said he was told that the
prisoner Burne had brought a basket home, which he believed was stolen. He
understood she was out all night with a pipeclay boy. — The girl Poland said
"she was sleeping in a pump next her house." She could have gone home
if she liked. Margaret Burne asked her to take the basket, and lent her her [sic] cloak and then she took it. It was
on Thursday. — The children were remanded to Wednesday.[3]
[1865, Nottm.] Ellen Poland and Esther
Hallett, two young women, were charged with stealing a pair of boots, the
property of Mr. Samuel Smith, Exchange Row, Nottingham. It appeared that on the
28th of July the prisoners were taken into custody at Radford on a charge of
stealing a pair of boots, and Inspector Ratcliffe noticed that one of them was
at the time wearing another new pair, and on interrogating them they told him
they been purchased at Nottingham, He afterwards made inquiries in Nottingham,
and found that they had been stolen from the prosecutor's shop. The prisoners
were committed to prison for a month on the first charge, and they had been
brought from the county prison this morning. They pleaded guilty to the present
charge, and were committed for two months.[4]
Her wildness was evident even from the age of eleven. These
two early reports were in Nottingham, but somewhere between 1865 and 1867 subsequent
reports switched to Derby. Their content also switched from theft to
drunkenness, riotous behaviour, and prostitution.
Figure 1 – Prostitution in c1880.[5]
[1867, Derby] Ellen Poland, a
prostitute, was charged with being drunk and riotous in Devonshire-street, at a
quarter to two this morning. — She was cautioned and liberated.[6]
[1869, Derby] Ellen Poland, a
prostitute, was charged with having been guilty of riotous and indecent conduct
on the London-road, at one o'clock that morning. — Police-constable Lowe found
the prisoner near the top of St. Peter's-street first; he cautioned her to go
away as she was drunk and screeching, but she did not do so, and he locked her up.
— The prisoner had been many times
previously convicted, and was now sentenced to 14 days' hard labour.[7]
[1869, Derby] Ellen Poland, a
prostitute, was charged by police-constable Martin with behaving in a riotous
and indecent manner in Bag-lane, at a quarter to one o'clock on Sunday morning.
She was very drunk. — One month, with hard labour.[8]
[1870, Derby] A woman of loose
habits, named Ellen Poland, admitted being helplessly drunk in Bag-lane on
Thursday evening, and was fined 5s. and costs.[9]
[1870, Derby] Disorderly Conduct.
— Ellen Poland was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour as a
common and disorderly prostitute.[10]
[1872, Derby] Ellen Poland,
charged with having been helplessly drunk in an entry in Copeland-street, at
four o'clock on Thursday morning, was set at liberty on promising to go home to
her mother at Nottingham.[11]
Notice that the Court made her promise to go back to her
mother. Although Ellen was 22 by this time — an adult — they clearly decided
that she needed guidance and a stable home given her previous record.
[1872, Derby] Ellen Poland, an
old offender, was charged with being drunk in Sadter-gate [Sadler-gate],
between nine and ten o'clock on Wednesday morning, and using obscene language. —
Police constable Wright proved the case. — Committed for seven days with hard
labour.[12]
[1875, Derby] A Young Woman
Charged With Assault. — Ellen Poland, a young woman, was charged with
assaulting Joseph Toplis. — Police-constable Robinson was in Albert-street on
Saturday night, when the defendant said she would give Toplis into custody, but
had no sooner uttered the words than she struck Toplis on the mouth. — As the
complainant did not appear prisoner was discharged.[13]
Although the next report was from Nottingham again, it was
not related to the previous court judgement, some three years before, and was
an isolated report. What it shows is that she had not run away from home
entirely, and that she did return on occasion.
[1875, Nottm.] Ellen Poland, for
being drunk and disorderly in Leen-side on Saturday evening, on pleading guilty
was fined 10s.[14]
[1876, Derby] A Confirmed
Drunkard. — A woman named Ellen Poland was charged with being drunk and
disorderly in the Corn Market, on Friday night. This being her seventeenth appearance, she was
committed to prison for 321 days, with hard labour.[15]
[1876, Derby] Her Nineteenth
Appearance. — Ellen Poland, an abandoned character, was in custody for being
drunk in Sadler gate on Saturday. — This was her nineteenth appearance for drunkenness, and she was committed to gaol
for 14 days' in default of paying a fine of 10s. and costs.[16]
The following incident was widely reported between the 8th
and 19th of August 1876: A client of Ellen’s was found dead in her
bed one morning. This must have bestowed some notoriety on her.
[1876, Derby] A navvy named Henry
Porter was found dead in bed at a house of ill-fame in Willow-row, Derby, last
Sunday week. It appears that the man has for some time been at work on the new
line of railway which is being constructed by the Great Northern Company at
Breadsall. He came to Derby Saturday afternoon, and in the evening met with a
prostitute named Ellen Poland, at a beerhouse kept by a man named Hemmings, in
Bold-lane. They visited a number of public houses together, and the man became
greatly intoxicated. On Sunday morning Poland was greatly alarmed to find the
man lying by her side quite dead. A post-morten
examination of the body was made on Monday evening. The deceased is a native of
Rothley, near Leicester, and has been in the army. He is between 30 and 40
years of age. On Tuesday, the Coroner or Derby held an inquest upon the body.
Mr. William Lliffe, surgeon, who had made a post-mortem
examination of the body, said there were no marks of violence upon it, and the
cause of death was rupture of the auricle of the heart, which was the verdict
of the jury.[17]
To the courts, however, her notoriety was due to the sheer
number of her convictions.
[1876, Derby] An Old Offender. — Ellen Poland
was charged with being a common prostitute, and with disorderly conduct in
Siddals-road, on Tuesday night. Since 1867 she has been before the Bench 20 times. — Sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment,
with hard labour.[18]
[1877, Derby] Ellen Poland was charged with
being drunk in Cheapside. — Police-constable Macdermott said the prisoner was
very violent on being apprehended. — Having been convicted 21 times previously, she was fined 20s. and costs, or one
month's imprisonment, with hard labour.[19]
[1877, Derby] Ellen Poland and Kate Caveney,
in their absence, were fined 10s. and costs, or 14 days' imprisonment, for
loitering in Sadler-gate. — Poland has been convicted 13[?] times before and
Caveney three times.[20]
Her final newspaper mention was in 1881, at the age of 31,
and it described the coroner’s inquest into her sudden death. Her death was in
her home town of Nottingham, and so presumably on one of her home visits.
[1881, Nottm.] Last evening Mr. A. Browne,
Deputy Borough Coroner, held inquest at the Ten Bells Inn, Narrow-marsh, upon
the body of Ellen Poland, 31 years of age, who died suddenly. — Rosanna Poland,
living at 6, Newcastle-street, stated that she was the mother of the deceased.
For some time she had been at Derby, having never lived at home continuously
since she was eleven years of age. Witness could never keep her at home and had
spent a fortune upon her. She was educated at one of the best schools in
Nottingham. During the last twelve months witness refused to see the deceased,
although she knew she came to Nottingham on Saturday. She believed the deceased
had been in the habit of drinking to excess, although she had not seen it
herself. — Harriet May, living at 30, Lee's-yard, stated that the deceased had
lived with her since last Saturday. The deceased had been drinking ever since,
and had been in a more or less state of intoxication nearly the whole of the
time. On the previous day she was not so bad, having only had two cans of ale.
About two o'clock in the afternoon she went to bed, saying she felt unwell.
About half-past six o'clock the same evening, however, witness found the
deceased lying dead on the bed. She told witness she had been living with a
young man at Derby, that she had left him through having had some words, but
that as he bad been very kind to her she intended going back. — Mr. Thomas
Geraty, surgeon, stated that he did not know the deceased during her lifetime.
Since her death he had made a post-mortem
examination of the body. She appeared to have suffered from chronic
drunkenness, and her heart was diseased. Her stomach was chronically inflamed,
and to all appearance she was a person who had been much addicted to drink. Her
liver was becoming diseased in consequence. The immediate cause of death was an
obstruction to the flow of blood to the heart. Drink would accelerate this,
although it might happen in the case of a person who did not take intoxicating
liquor. At the same time, the deceased was gradually dying through the effects
of drink. He did not think she was a person who drank regularly, but spasmodically.
— The Deputy Coroner said it was a very painful case. The mother of the
deceased seemed to be a very respectable woman, and very naturally felt the
case very keenly. At the same time, the jury must do their duty. A verdict was
returned that the "Deceased died through excessive drinking."[21]
There are several interesting aspects to this report.
Firstly, it provides a name and address for her mother. However, it also says
much about her life: she was not particularly deprived, having been educated at
“one of the best schools in Nottingham”; she was not an habitual drinker, but
rather drank to excess on specific occasions (what we’d now call binge drinking); she was in some sort of
steady relationship with a man; there was clearly an issue between Ellen and her
mother as there was no recent contact, even though she visited Nottingham each
Saturday. Note that in the 1881 census, Ellen’s address was only about 200
yards to the east of her mother’s address.
Figure 2 – Pub scene, 1879.[22]
Looking for the address of 6 Newcastle Street in the 1881
census reveals a widow named Hannah Poland, which may have been an informal
version of her given name (Rosanna) or
an enumerator error. She was a milliner, born c1825 (age 56) in Newry, in the north of Ireland, on the border between counties Down and Armagh.[23]
There were still many questions, such as who was her husband, where were the
family before the 1871 census, and why did Ellen go to Derby?
Her mother wasn’t at the same address in 1871, and her name
didn’t immediately show up in a search. However, a breakthrough was provided by
the baptism transcriptions for Nottinghamshire. An initial search for
variations of Rosanna Poland yielded the following group of baptisms, in the
Nottingham St. Barnabas R.C. parish, under slight variations of the surname.
|
Birth
|
Baptism
|
Given name
|
Father’s name
|
Mother’s name
|
|
29 Aug 1844
|
31 Aug 1844
|
Daniel
|
Owen Poland
|
Rosa Anne Carr
|
|
6 Mar 1849
|
8 Mar 1849
|
John
|
Owen MacPolin
|
Rose Ann Carr
|
|
7 Apr 1850
|
14 Apr 1850
|
Helen
|
Owen Polin
|
Rosan Carr
|
|
6 Mar 1852
|
14 Mar 1852
|
Daniel John
|
Owen Polin
|
Rose Ann Carr
|
|
8 Mar 1854
|
13 Mar 1854
|
Mary Ann Eliza
|
Owen Polin
|
Rose Carr
|
|
24 May 1856
|
1 Jun 1856
|
Alice Mary
|
Hugh Polin
|
Rose Ann Carr
|
Table 1 – Polin/Poland baptisms at
Nottingham St. Barnabas.[24]
Despite the name variations, they are obviously for the same
couple, and there we see Ellen’s baptism, under the variation Helen Polin.
As reported in My
Ancestor Changed Their Surname, this Roman Catholic parish routinely
included the mother’s maiden name, and so it appears, at first sight, as though
the couple were not married. Carr is
a known Irish name but why the Poland/Polin
duality? I eventually found that Poland is a variant of Polin, which is in turn an Anglicised form
of the original Irish Mac Póilín,[25] It
is uncertain whether Hugh was a
transcription or clerical error, or an accepted pseudonym; it does not show up
anywhere else in this research.
Knowing the names of both husband and wife meant it was then
possible to find they were married in 1843,[26]
and that would mean that Daniel was probably their first-born. Interestingly,
there was no parish record of this marriage and so it was probably just a civil
registration. This might be explained if they were newly-arriving Roman
Catholics and hadn’t settled in an associated parish.
This all yielded more name variations than you could shake a
stick at, but it was enough to find the family in the earlier census years.
|
Name
|
Role
|
Status
|
Sex
|
Age
|
Birth year
|
Occupation
|
Place of birth
|
|
Owen
|
Head
|
Mar.
|
M
|
53
|
1818
|
Travelling draper
|
Co. Down, Ireland
|
|
Rocean
|
Wife
|
Mar.
|
F
|
48
|
1823
|
|
Co. Down, Ireland
|
|
Mary A.
|
Daughter
|
|
F
|
15
|
1856
|
|
Nottingham
|
|
Alice
|
Daughter
|
|
F
|
13
|
1958
|
Cap hand
|
Nottingham
|
|
Owen
|
Son
|
|
M
|
11
|
1860
|
Cap hand
|
Nottingham
|
Table 2 – 1871: Polin family. Trent Street, Nottingham.[27]
Owen’s occupation of “travelling draper” may explain why
Ellen spent many years in Derby, about 15 miles west of Nottingham. Mary A. must be the Alice Mary in the baptism data. The
given name of Owen’s wife, here, could be a very badly spelled version of Roseanne, or a phonetic attempt at the
Irish name Róisín (pronounced
“roh-sheen”).
|
Name
|
Role
|
Status
|
Sex
|
Age
|
Birth year
|
Occupation
|
Place of birth
|
|
Owen
|
Head
|
Mar.
|
M
|
45
|
1816
|
Travelling draper
|
Co. Down, Ireland
|
|
Roseanna
|
Wife
|
Mar.
|
F
|
37
|
1824
|
|
Co. Down, Ireland
|
|
Ellen
|
Daughter
|
|
F
|
11
|
1850
|
|
Nottingham
|
|
Mary A.
|
Daughter
|
|
F
|
8
|
1853
|
|
Nottingham
|
|
Alice
|
Daughter
|
|
F
|
6
|
1855
|
|
Nottingham
|
|
Owen
|
Son
|
|
M
|
1
|
1860
|
|
Nottingham
|
Table 3 – 1861: Polin family. St.
Ann's Road, Nottingham.[28]
|
Name
|
Role
|
Status
|
Sex
|
Age
|
Birth year
|
Occupation
|
Place of birth
|
|
Owen
|
Head
|
Mar.
|
M
|
50
|
1801
|
Lace dealer
|
Co. Down, Ireland
|
|
Rosa anne
|
Wife
|
Mar.
|
F
|
28
|
1823
|
|
Co. Down, Ireland
|
|
Anne
|
Daughter
|
|
F
|
4
|
1847
|
|
Nottingham
|
|
Elenor
|
Daughter
|
|
F
|
11m
|
1851
|
|
Nottingham
|
|
Bridget Welch
|
Servant
|
|
F
|
20
|
1831
|
House servt
|
Co.Mayo, Ireland
|
Table 4 – 1851: Polin family. Kent
Street, Nottingham.[29]
So, to add yet another name variation, Ellen may also have
been known by Elenor. Children such
as John and Daniel were missing from these earlier years and so it must be
assumed that they died before 1851. Notice that they had a house servant,
implying that they weren’t poverty-stricken.
If Owen and Rosanna married in 1843 then we might expect to
see Rosanna in 1841 under her maiden name, but that doesn’t appear to be so. Owen
was a “traveler”, aged 36, living on Clare Street in the household of an Arthur
O’Hare. Also in that household were who appeared to be his brother and sister-in-law,
Peter and Margaret, both 25 years old.[30]
However, Rosanna was using the surname Poland — her preferred version of Polin — living on Parliament Street as a
24-year-old “F. S.” (female servant) in the household of Thomas Bishop.[31]
Although the census implies that she was a native of Nottingham, it is clear
that she was the same Rosanna.
Whatever the reason for her using her married name ahead of
time, this information shows that they were already in Nottingham by 1841. This
is important because it means they hadn’t left Ireland as a result of the famine
hitting Co. Down in 1845.
Finally, let’s return to the newspapers and see what can be
found about the parents. The following reports were all in the Nottingham and
Derby papers.
[1849, Nottm.] Inquests Before
The Town Coroner. — … On the same day [26th ult.], at the Horse and Chaise, on the
body of John Polin, infant son of Owen Polin, of Kent-street, travelling
draper. The deceased had been unwell since its birth, and on the morning of the
inquest it was found dead in bed. Verdict, "Natural causes." [32]
This must be the John Polin listed in the baptism data,
above, and so he would have only been about two months old.
We’ve already seen that Owen was a travelling draper, but
his business ran into difficulties during 1853.
[1853, Nottm. Insolvents] Owen Polin,
Nottingham, dealer in drapery.[33]
[1853, Nottm. Insolvents] Owen Polin,
Nottingham, dealer in drapery, County Court, Nottingham.[34]
[1853, Nottm.] In the Matter of
the Petition of Owen Polin, formerly of Kent-street, afterwards of
Chandler's-lane, both in the town of Nottingham, Lace Dealer and Dealer in
Drapery, and now in lodgings at Mr. Dickinson's, in Newcastle-street, in the
said town of Nottingham, Dealer in Drapery, NOTICE is hereby given, that the
County Court of Nottinghamshire, at Nottingham, acting in the matter of this
Petition, will proceed to make a Final Order thereon, at the said Court, on the
29th day of September instant, at nine o'clock in the forenoon precisely,
unless cause be then and there shewn to the contrary.[35]
[1853, Nottm.] Owen Polin of Chandler's Lane,
Nottingham, draper. This insolvent received his final order, the opposition
adjourned from the last court day being withdrawn.[36]
Owen appeared to be out of work for a number of years, and
the couple were obviously under some stress.
[1854, Nottm.] An Aged Offender. —
Ann Moore, 65, Cross Court, was charged with stealing a number of articles of
wearing apparel, the property of Owen Poland. Remanded until Friday.[37]
[1856, Nottm.] Assaulting a Wife.
— Owen Polin, 40, describing himself a traveller, living in Kent Street, was
brought up by policeman No. 47, who apprehended him last night about eight
o'clock, near his own house, for being disorderly and assaulting his wife.
The officer
said that while on duty in St. John's Street, a person came to him and said he
was wanted in Kent Street, where a man was beating his wife with the poker. He
went accordingly, and found on arriving at the spot that the complainant wished
to go into the house and the defendant was keeping her out; and he began to
beat her again in his presence. He saw nothing of a poker.
Defendant: I
had had a little drink.
The Mayor:
That is no mitigating circumstance, but rather makes your case worse.
The
complainant, who had a black eye, said that her husband came home in a state of
intoxication, and she remonstrated with him, telling him he ought not to come
home in such a state, especially when he was out of employment. The defendant
then immediately struck her. She said she never saw the poker, and asserted
that the blow was given with his fist. She did not, however, wish to press the
charge to a conviction against him, but hoped that the circumstance of his
being brought before the magistrates would act as a warning to him.
A young woman,
who was present as witness, said, in answer to the bench, that she saw the
defendant with a poker in his hand. He did not actually strike her with it, but
would have done so had she not evaded the blow and ran away. Upon missing her
he slipped down and cut his head against the door.
Complainant:
When he gets a little drunk he is really like a lunatic.
The Mayor: Has
he beaten you before?
Complainant
(with some hesitation): No, sir.
The Mayor:
That is such a feeble "no," that I have much doubt whether it is so.
At the earnest
request of his wife the bench said they would not convict him under the
Aggravated Assaults Act, but would order him to find sureties to keep the peace
for three months, and pay the costs, amounting to 10s.[38]
Rosanna worked as a market trader handling fabrics such as
lace. Although we cannot be certain that Owen was similarly involved, there is
a later report about him working without a hawker’s licence.
[1857, Nottm.] Breach of the Peace. — A very
decently-dressed woman, named Rosanna Polin, appeared in answer to a summons
charging her with having committed a breach of the peace in the Butter Market
on Saturday last. It appeared that the defendant is a peripatetic [travelling]
lace merchant, frequenting Nottingham market, her stock-in-trade being
displayed within the circumference of an umbrella, and her announcements that
she is selling real Honiton [lace] at "a penny a yard" are not only
of an extremely vociferous character, but they frequently cause a crowd of
people to assemble around her who do not conduct themselves in the most orderly
manner in taking advantage of the "opportunity of purchasing goods at an
alarming sacrifice;" and this would seem to have been the case on Saturday
last. In answer to the charge, Mrs. Polin said she had sold lace in Nottingham
market for the last twelve or thirteen years, and as long as other people
continued to call out the wares they had for sale, she would do the same. The
magistrates recommended her not to persist in that course. They did not wish to
press the case, and if she would pay the expenses, express contrition, and
promise not to offend again, they would allow the matter to drop. The clerk to
the magistrates told her that she could also be proceeded against for
committing an offence against the Bye Laws, which stipulated that if any party,
except an auctioneer or other licensed person, shall cry goods for sale, he
shall be liable to a penalty. The defendant, who did not appear to like the
idea of giving up what she deemed to be her rights, ultimately complied with
the conditions named, and was discharged.[39]
[1857, Derby] Stealing Ribbons. —
Mary Moore, a respectable looking young woman, was brought up charged with
stealing some pieces of ribbon from the stall of Rosanna Poland in the New
Market on the day pervious. — Police-constable Stanesby deposed that on the
afternoon previous prosecutrix came to him and charged the prisoner with having
robbed her stall of some ribbons. He took her into custody, and on searching
her under her arm he found concealed the pieces of ribbon produced. —
prosecutrix resides at Nottingham, and
having to attend the market of that town on Saturdays she was not present to
give evidence to-day, consequently the prisoner was bailed until Monday, on
which day it was stated she would be present.[40]
The above report shows that they travelled to Derby to trade
in the markets there.
[1857, Nottm.] A decently attired young girl
complained to the borough magistrates on Tuesday, about a Mrs. Rosanna Polin
having found and retained 1s. 6d. of her money. Mrs. Polin has a stall in the
market where she disposes of ribbons, lace, &c. It will perhaps be
remembered that a short time ago she was brought before the magistrates and
punished for calling attention to her commodities in rather too vociferous a
manner. The complainant in the present case stated that on Saturday night she
was standing at Mrs. Polin's stall, looking at some ribbons. She made no
purchase, but after she had proceeded a few yards from the stall she found her
money was 1s. 6d. short, and on returning she heard that Mrs. Polin had picked
up 1s. 6d. from amongst the ribbons. Mrs. Polin refused to give this up when
requested, asserting that it must be her own money, as she herself was three
shillings short. — The girl's statement was confirmed by other witnesses. —
Mrs. Polin entered into a long explanation, with a view of showing that the
money she had found was really her own. — The Mayor said he had no doubt but
that the girl had lost her money as she stated, and that Mrs. Polin had found
it, and he therefore advised her to return the 1s. 6d., and at the same time
expressed his regret that he could not make an order for some compensation to
be awarded to the witnesses for their loss of time. — After some hesitation and
remonstrance the 1s. 6d. was restored to the owner.[41]
[1857, Nottm.] Charge of Assault.
— Mrs. Rosannah Polin, a lady lace merchant, carrying on business in Nottingham
market and elsewhere, who has figured before the magistrates on one or two recent
occasions, again made her appearance — bedecked in all the hues of the rainbow,
her raiment displaying a most extraordinary combination of colour; being, in
fact, an "awful swell" — to answer the charge of having assaulted her
neighbour, Mrs. Bridget Hughes, on Saturday the 30th ult. From the statement of
the complainant it appeared that, about one o'clock in the morning of the day
named, the defendant paid a visit to her (the complainant's) house while in “a
state of beer," and as she entered her husband told her to shut the door
after her, instead of doing which, however, she set it wide open. Mrs. Hughes
closed it, and Mrs. Polin opened it again. This performance was repeated
several times: words ensued, and, as is very frequently the case, blows
followed, Mrs. Polin being the aggressor. It was elicited by Mr. Cowley, jun.,
who appeared for the defendant, that the latter went to the complainant's house
respecting a small account due to her, and that, when she was about to leave,
Mrs. Hughes planted herself against the door, and prevented her. Considering
both parties equally to blame, the magistrate directed the costs to be divided,
and they were discharged.[42]
[1860, Nottm.] Rosanna Polin then
stepped forward and charged Mary Caffray [accused of pick-pocketing in previous
paragraph] with assaulting her. She stated that she was sitting in a
public-house near Midland Railway Station, when the accused came in and asked
her why she (prosecutrix) had said she had been convicted of a felony, at the
same time striking her a severe blow in the face, and discolouring her eye and
cheek. — Mary Caffray admitted the assault, but urged as a justification that
Rosanna Polin, as soon as she attempted to purchase some articles in the shop,
said "That woman has been convicted of felony;" to which she replied,
"Very well, and if I was, take that," at the same time striking her
in the face. — The bench ordered the accused to enter into her own recognisance
to keep the peace for three months.[43]
[1861, Nottm.] Owen Polin, of Nottingham, was
charged by police constable Thomas Gibson with hawking without a license, at
Kirkby-in-Ashfield, on the 21st inst. Fined £2 10s. and costs, or one month's
imprisonment.[44]
During November 1861, there was a lengthy report of a case,
tried before a petty jury, of Harriett Picard stealing three pieces of net lace.
Also, of Sarah Guest and Maria Guest receiving the lace, knowing that it was
stolen. Rose Ann Poland was mentioned several times as offering to sell the
lace.[45]
[1862, Nottm.] Rosanna Poland
appeared to answer the charge of having on the 30th April, unlawfully assaulted
and beaten Sarah Wakefield. The parties are stall keepers in the market, and on
the day in question a "row" took place between them, as to the other
one taking up new ground usually occupied by the other..According to the
testimony of a gardener named Lowater, who has a standing in the market, he
heard and saw an altercation between the parties, during which Mrs. Poland made
use of the most obscene and filthy language towards Mrs. Wakefield. — John Key,
framework-knitter, also deposed to Mrs. Poland's misconduct. — Mr. brothers,
superintendent of the market, stated that Mrs. Poland's conduct had been so
bad, that she had been ordered to leave the market. — The bench said she must
pay expenses and find sureties to keep the peace for the next three months, or
in default go to gaol.[46]
In 1865, Owen Polin also appeared on an election poll-sheet
for the Nottingham Exchange Ward. He was described as a traveller of Trent Road.[47] This is significant because until 1867 you had to be a property owner in order to vote.
[1874, Nottm] Extraordinary Behaviour Of a Drunken
Female — Rosanna Poland was charged by P.c Toon with being drunk and disorderly
in Trent-street, Canal-street. It appeared that the prisoner was in a state of
intoxication, and was throwing glasses at the persons passing by. She used some
disgusting language, shouted at the top of her voice, and said she would let
them know she had come home. She also threw a chamber utensil on a gentleman
passing by, and flung everything she could lay hold of into the street. — This
being her ninth appearance at the Court, she was sent to gaol for a month with
hard labour.[48]
From these reports, it can be seen that Owen had his own
business, although it floundered, and that he owned property. Combined with the fact that they had a house servant, and that
Rosanna claimed Ellen was sent to “one of the best schools”, then we know that
the family were not poor. However, these last reports also demonstrate that
Rosanna had a rough edge to her, and
had appeared in court some nine times herself. They would appear to have been a
family intent on social climbing, although their roots were showing.
Ellen’s episodic drinking could be linked to a desire for
fun and friendship when she felt none at home. Her “sad career” in prostitution
may have helped with her subsistence but could also have begun as a
relationship issue. The trouble in her final relationship with an unnamed man
in Derby may have upset her to the point where she finally drank herself to
death.
Her father died in 1877, aged 64,[49]
four years before her own death, and her mother in 1889, aged 68.[50]
They were both interred in Nottingham's privately-run General Cemetery,
thus supporting the picture of their good finances. The records for their
burials yield considerable information about deaths of young children in their
family.
The memorial inscription database yields the following
details.
|
Name
|
Death
|
Age
|
Sec.
|
Inscription
|
|
Ann Polin
|
9 Apr 1853
|
7y
|
06
|
|
|
David John Polin
|
30 Nov 1852
|
9m
|
06
|
Son of Owen and Rose Ann POLIN
|
|
Daniel Polin
|
26 Apr 1849
|
5y
|
06
|
} Beloved children of Owen and Rose Ann POLIN
|
|
John Polin
|
26 Apr 1849
|
7w
|
06
|
}
|
Table 5 – Memorial inscriptions for
Polin family.[51]
However, the associated burial register provides yet more
names.
|
Name
|
Burial
|
Death
|
|
Rosannah Poland
|
18 Oct 1889
|
Unrecorded
|
|
Ellen Poland
|
19 Dec1881
|
Unrecorded
|
|
Owen Polin
|
31 Oct 1877
|
Unrecorded
|
|
Thomas Daniel John Polin
|
7 Aug 1859
|
2 Aug 1859
|
|
Ann Polin
|
12 Apr 1853
|
9 Apr 1853
|
|
Daniel John Polin
|
5 Dec 1852
|
30 Nov 1852
|
|
John Polin
|
28 Apr 1849
|
25 Apr 1849
|
|
Daniel Polin
|
28 Apr 1849
|
26 Apr 1849
|
|
Margaret Polin
|
3 May 1847
|
1
May 1847
|
Table 6 – Burial register details for
Polin family.[52]
Take a step back from this sad story and consider what I’ve
done in this article. Ellen Poland was not a known relative of mine, but she
was certainly a relative of someone out there now. This bit of genealogical
journalism has tried to tell her story — her short story — for whoever may be
interested, and for any relative who may be seeking her. But is it genealogy?
It obviously uncovers part of a family history, but not my own.
[1] “1871 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 10 Aug 2016), household of Edwin
Elliott (age 38); citing RG 10/3564, fo.18, p.30; The National Archives of the UK (TNA).
[2] “1881 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 10 Aug 2016), household of William
Slater (age 29); citing RG 11/3356, fo.140, p.10; TNA.
[3] “Police Office,
Nottingham: Stealing a Basket”, Nottinghamshire
Guardian (29 Oct 1861): p.5, col.4.
[4] “Police Office,
Nottingham: Monday: Boot Stealing”, Nottinghamshire
Guardian (1 Sep 1865): p.3, col.4.
[5] "Prostitution", line engraving, Police
Gazette (c1880); original
caption: "I can laugh, I can dance, I can sing
with glee, oh, I feel just as young as I used to be - You're a darling - Don't
think I'm old: You won't, will you, my pretty one".
[8] “Derby Police Court:
Monday: Obscene Language”, Derbyshire
Advertiser and Journal (8 Oct 1869): p.7, col.4.
[10] “Derby Borough
Police: Monday”, Derbyshire Times and
Chesterfield Herald (3 Dec 1870): p.6, col.2.
[14] "Town Hall,
Nottingham: Monday: Drunkenness", Nottinghamshire
Guardian (2 Jul 1875): p.2, col.1
[23] “1881 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 11 Aug 2016), household of Hannah
Poland (age 56); citing RG 11/3357, fo.112, p.32; TNA.
[24] Nottinghamshire Family
History Society (NottsFHS), Parish
Registers Baptism Transcriptions, CD-ROM, database (Nottingham, 1 Jan
2013), database version 6.0, entries for Ro% Carr in Nottingham St. Barnabas RC
parish.
[25] “Poland (Surname)”, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland_(surname) : accessed 11 Aug 2016), “Etymology”.
[26] Transcribed GRO Index
for England and Wales (1837–1983), database, FreeBMD (http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/seach.pl
: accessed 12 Aug 2016), marriage entry for Owen Polin and Rosanna Carr; citing
Nottingham, 1843, Jun [Q2], vol. 15:833.
[27] “1871 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 12 Aug 2016), household of Owen
Polin (age 53); citing RG 10/3524, fo.60, p.1; TNA.
[28] “1861 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 12 Aug 2016), household of Owen
Polin (age 45); citing RG 9/2460, fo.137a, p.33; TNA.
[29] “1851 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 12 Aug 2016), household of Owen
Polin (age 50); citing HO 107/2132, fo.178, p.4; TNA.
[30] “1841 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 12 Aug 2016), household of “Arther
Ohare” (age 35); citing HO 107/870, bk.3, fo.11, p.15; TNA.
[31] “1841 England, Wales, & Scotland Census", database with images,
Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk :
accessed 12 Aug 2016), household of Thomas
Bishop (age 70); citing HO 107/870, bk.15, fo.26, p.1; TNA.
[36] “Local Intelligence:
Insolvent Debtors' Court”, Nottinghamshire
Guardian (29 Sep 1853): p.5, col.6.
[43] “Police office, Nottingham:
Saturday: Assault”, Nottinghamshire
Guardian (1 Mar 1860): p.7, col.2.
[44] “Police Intelligence:
Bilking the Revenue”, Nottinghamshire
Guardian (30 May 1861): p.3, col.6.
[45] “Nottingham Borough
Sessions, Yesterday: The Lace Stealing Case”, Nottinghamshire Guardian (5 Nov 1861): p.5, col.3/4. Also Nottinghamshire Guardian (8 Nov 1861):
p.3, col.1.
[46] “Police Intelligence:
Neighbours' Quarrels”, Nottinghamshire
Guardian (13 May 1862): p.5, col.3.
[49] FreeBMD (accessed 12 Aug 2016), death entry for Owen Poland; citing Nottingham,
1877, Dec [Q4], vol. 7b:163.
[50] FreeBMD (accessed 12 Aug 2016), death entry for Rosannah Poland; citing Nottingham,
1889, Dec [Q4], vol. 7b:175.
[51] NottsFHS, Memorial Inscriptions: General Cemetery, CD-ROM, database (Nottingham,
1 Aug 2010), database version 6.1, product version 2.0, entries for surname Polin;
[52] “The central database for UK burials and cremations”, database with images, deceased online (https://www.deceasedonline.com
: accessed 12 Aug 2016), entries for grave for Owen Polin, 1877, Nottingham General Cemetery, grave ref: /11632.
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