RootsChat.Com

Max D,

Many thanks. Dad was in Hull for a time, when he arrived in Wales he was stationed at Pembrey twice,
spent a fair amount of time at Cardiff airport and the heavy transport based just outside the City. He often talked about balloons but I wrongly assumed he was with 7MT from the start to end of service!

Thanks again much appreciated.

Richview

No I am not related , I was asked to research the family several years ago.

It would make sense that both sons indeed followed their father as bookmakers - I know from the court information that William was arrested on suspicion of "Welshing" using the name of Jack Allard Jr.

Romany Travellers, Fairground Travellers, with an occupation traveller that would imply that the person was a travelling salesman now known as a sales rep.

Mary Oram may be his mother, I did rule her out as John Allard  gave his date of birth late 1868 - 1871, I settled on him being born 1870 at Belper, that was confirmed in a book I later read.

I checked my file re Charles Cutler and can confirm he was not Romany his father Hiram Israel Cutler died 1906 was a publican, brewer and provision merchant. Charles may have been involved in the bookmaking business but I think we must be mindful he had already had previous problems with John Allard, I have read the press reports again and all state he was walking from his family home when attacked.

Good Morning,

I researched the Allard family sometime ago, your father was correct Jack Allard was indeed an extremely violent and dangerous man. I'll try to keep this short, it begins with Jack marrying Mary "Ann" O'Hara April 1893, within months of marriage Jack violently assaulted a policemen. He had many sentences before 1912  and used numerous aliases.

1st March 1912 he was charged with murder, there are many newspaper articles worldwide about the case. Charles Cutler was a Commercial Traveller and bookies runner, late 1911 Allard had beaten the man, on the day in question they had rowed, Cutler went home to his widowed mother and said he had been threatened. He spent the evening at his home with his girlfriend, when walking her home Allard came out of the shadows and attacked him, Cutler was in a coma died the next day. Cutler had been beaten then stabbed with the umbrella. Passers by restrained Allard who showed no remorse, he was arrested laughing and threatened the PC's that he would shoot them.

The trial Allard used witnesses to convince the jury , the charge was then reduced to manslaughter,
after the trial his previous convictions were revealed - perhaps had they known there were 11 for violent assault , things would have been very different and Allard would have indeed faced the death sentence.

It is strange that when Allard was released from jail he did not return to Mary but gave his address as 19 Essex Street the home of his son William who also had an interesting past!

There is little known about John Allard pre marriage, my belief he was born  to a single woman Mary Allard at Belper workhouse 1870, 1891 he joined the army but his new career was short lived he failed to report for training.

When Henry was 37 his occupation lorry driver /mechanic, he lived with Selina and two children John b 1924, Lina b 1928.

 

Is this your man?

https://tiesthatbindsite.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/hugh-macdonald-iv-of-boisdale/

Over the years I have researched many families both in the UK and overseas, the only way is to start  with a blank canvas.
I did read about the gang wars and violence prior to researching John Allard it was later that I learnt of his connection to Billy Kember.

John was a career criminal from an early age I would assume as records are released more of his past will come to light.

At some point a tree will be released on Ancestry.com, to complete would require a visit to the archives, police museum and cemetery that may  happen next year.

The research has been more than interesting and rather shocking.

R