When you find out why husband & wife lived apart in the court reports

[Aulus]

I spent ages looking at Robert Scrutton, the son of Ezekiel Scrutton & Elizabeth Goult, born 5 July 1861 in Queenhithe, in London.
He was a tailor and his trade clearly got him around the country: in 1881, he's in Wyke Regis, in 1901 in Liverpool, in 1911 in Chipping Norton, and in 1939 in Aylesbury, where he died Q1 1947.

I can't find him in 1891. Can you?

He married Martha Lucy Davies (apparently known as Lucy) in Birmingham Q3 1897.

The couple are at:
4 Summerfield Crescent Birmingham 25/10/1898 (baptism of first child)
35 Bloom Street in Liverpool (1901 census)
10 High St, Wavertree, Liverpool 10/9/1902 (baptism of third child)

They had three children:
Eva Elizabeth Scrutton, born Q4 Birmingham. Probably died Aston district, Q1 1915
Robert James Scrutton, born 25/10/1899 Birmingham, died 19/10/1984 Okehampton
Lucy Scrutton, born West Derby district 27 Aug 1902.

Between 1902 and 1911, the couple clearly split.
The father, Robert, is alone, boarding in Chipping Norton on the 1911 census, though still described as married.
By 1939 he's described as widowed.

I looked for his wife's death, but instead came across her baptism, which gave her birthdate: 5 Jan 1869.  Having found numerous "widowhoods of convenience" elsewhere in my tree, I wasn't entirely surprised, having got her d.o.b., to find her on the 1939 register in Penge, Surrey, also claiming to be widowed.

Moderator comment:1911 census request removed, our policy has not changed

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=355486.0

Looking for the children, I think the first, Eva Elizabeth, probably died in Aston in 1915, so Lucy must have moved back to the West Midlands with her children.  The WW1 service records for the son, Robert James Scrutton confirm that, and give an address in 1918/19 of 136a Spon Street, Coventry.  By the 1939 Register, Robert the son is an author, living in Kensington.

There's a possible death for the daughter, Q1 1907, Birmingham, age 4.

I always wonder why couples ended up claiming to be widowed, but this is the one time I've actually got some insight, and it makes me wonder if I've got one of the daughters' deaths wrong.

I found this in the Portsmouth Evening News for 20 September 1934

WOMAN WITH BAD RECORD
Justices Try to Help Her
PLACED ON PROBATION AT PORTSMOUTH

"We notice that in the convictions read out against you dating from 1909 to 1930 you have not yet been put on probation. We are going to try to help you, and shall therefore put you on probation for 12 months."
This was the remark of Miss E. H. Kelly on the City Bench to-day, when Lucy Martha Scrutton (65), a widow, of Cope Road, Brixton, S.W., was charged on remand with stealing a shilling by means of a trick from the Bedford Hotel on September 9.
It was stated last week that Scrutton pretended that she was given a half-penny among her change for a shilling.
Superintendent Fisher (Deputy Chief Constable) read out a lengthy list of offences beginning in 1909 and continuing to 1930. Two of them were similar offences to the one for which she was at present being tried.
She told the Magistrates that some of the cases in which goods were pawned was for food for her children.  Also recently she had been greatly upset by the attitude of her son, who had ignored her in the street after all she had done for him.  She added that recently she had been living with her daughter and had been going straight.  She asked for another chance.
The Chairman told her she had been remanded so that efforts might be made to help her. She would be put under the care of the Probation Officer in her district, and it was up to her to keep out trouble in future.

Assuming that she's not fibbing, one of the daughters must have survived to c. 1934. But which one, and where is she?

I've just read another couple of newspaper reports, this time from 1942, when she's done it again at Redhill in Surrey. Again she mentions her daughter in Penge. But the wife in the Thompson family she's living with in 1939 (and she has their ration cards according to the newspaper report) isn't née Scrutton, nor is there a possibly birth with mother's maiden name Davies.  Puzzling.

[Jomot]

In 1891 it looks like Robert is in Norfolk boarding with Robert & Catherine Burton

RG12/1531/73/1

Robert Scrutton Boarder Single 29 Tailor Cutter born London City

[Jomot]

The Eva E Scrutton that died Aston district Q1 1915 was 36, so born c1879, and therefore not the daughter of Robert & Lucy

Scrap that - bad transcript.  She was 16

[Jomot]

I'm just reading one of the newspaper reports, from the Surrey Mirror 29 May 1942, a part of which reads "Accused, who said she was sorry, said that all the trouble was due to her first conviction when, after being left a widow with six children"  The report goes on to say that she had 3 sons & 3 daughters but only knew the whereabouts of one of them, a daughter with whom she had been living at Penge. 

The Police Gazette for 1931 carries an interesting entry for her though. 

Coventry (City) - For failing to surrender to her bail to answer a charge of attempting to obtain 1s by a trick, 19th ult, Lucy Scrutton aliases Martha Lucy Frost, Lucy Davies and Lucy Mary Lake. CRO No. S/113964 b1869  5ft 4^1/2in, c. pale, h. grey, e. brown. A dressmaker; native of Shropshire. Pre con of larceny, illegal pawning, attempted fraud and attempted larceny.  At BIRMINGHAM (Lucy Scrutton), BANBURY (Nellie Ware), WINDSOR (Ada May) and on T.  Asked for a drop of rum and tendered a 2s piece and 1d. Was given a shilling and sixpence change, when she dropped the shilling into her basket, substituted a half penny, and complained to the licensee that she had been given the wrong change.

Added: The conviction at Banbury as Nellie Ware was in 1924, and she gave her age as born 1873. The record confirms her real name plus the aliases Lucy Scruton, Lucy Davies and Lucy Mary Lake.

[Jomot]

But the wife in the Thompson family she's living with in 1939 (and she has their ration cards according to the newspaper report) isn't née Scrutton, nor is there a possibly birth with mother's maiden name Davies.  Puzzling.

The female she is with in 1939 was also with her on the electoral register at Pope's Road in 1934 with the surname Scrutton.  The Scrutton/Thomson marriage was the same year.

[Aulus]

Many thanks, Jomot.  Very useful.  Thanks for taking the time to look at this for me.