Constance Kent and others.

[Olde Crone]

I'm reading again, lol, this time it's Kate Summerskill's book about Constance Kent who supposedly murdered her own half brother (aged nearly 4) in 1860.

Can any one please see in 1841, Mary Drewe Pratt born 1820 in Tiverton, d/o Francis and Mary Pratt?

The book states that "It is not certain when Mary Drewe Pratt entered the (Kent) household but it may have been as early as 1840"

This is just my noseyness and isn't important, but I am fascinated by Constance Kent. Although I had heard of the murder, I had absolutely no idea that she had lived until she was 100 and was highly-regarded in Australia (where they didn't know who she was, of course)

OC

[Margaret in Burton]

Found her OC

Give me a minute and I'll type it up

[ElizabethHerts]

OC, she is still with Francis and Mary:

RG number:
HO107 Piece:
255 Book/Folio:
13 Page:
21

Registration District:
Tiverton & Dulverton Sub District:
Tiverton Enumeration District:
Ecclesiastical Parish:


Address:
Bartow's Causeway, Tiverton County:
Devonshire


PRATT, Francis M 45 1796 Devon
PRATT, Mary F 50 1791 Devon
PRATT, Mary Drewe F 20 1821 Devon
PRATT, Sarah Acland F 15 1826 Devon
PRATT, Elizabeth F 15 1826 Devon
ADAMS, Amelia F 20 1821 Devon

[ElizabethHerts]

Francis was a Yeoman.

[Margaret in Burton]

She's with what looks like to be her parents.


Barlows Causeway, Tiverton, Devon

Francis and Mary Pratt.

Francis aged 45 a yeoman
Mary aged 50
Mary Drewe Pratt aged 20
Sarah Arland or Acland Pratt aged 15
Elizabeth Pratt aged 15


All born in county

[Margaret in Burton]

You're quicker at typing than me Elizabeth

[ElizabethHerts]

1851 Census for the record of Francis and Mary.

PRATT, Francis Head Married M 58 1793 General Agent Tallaton Devonshire
PRATT, Mary Wife F 65 1786 Tiverton Devonshire
PRATT, L A Daughter Unmarried F 27 1824 Governess Tiverton
Devonshire
PRATT, E A Daughter Unmarried F 25 1826 Governess Tiverton
Devonshire

RG number: HO107 Piece:1889 Folio:91 Page:5

Address:
Fore Street, Tiverton County:
Devonshire

Haven't worked out who L A is yet!

[Olde Crone]

Oooh, thankyou, so she went to the Kents after 1841 (June) then.

If Constance Kent really did murder her little brother then her subsequent life seems very strange. She emigrated to Australia, trained as a nurse and nursed in a Leprosy hospital and a home for wayward girls, and didn't retire from nursing until she was 88. When she emigrated, it was with her two half sisters and they all went to her brother in Australia...so her siblings and half siblings didn't hold a grudge against the woman who had supposedly foully murdered their little brother.

OC

[ElizabethHerts]

Sorry, Margaret! :o

[Margaret in Burton]

sorry, margaret! :o

:d:d:d:d:d:d

[Olde Crone]

Incidentally, for those who fret about mis spelled names:

Constance's full name was Constance Emily Kent. When she signed her confession of murder, she signed it Constance EMILIE Kent and the policeman said "How do you spell this name, is it Emily or Emilie?" and she said "Sometimes I spell it one way and sometimes I spell it the other way".

So there you are!

OC

[ElizabethHerts]

1861

KENT, Samuel S Head Married M 60 1801 Labourer Inspector Of Factory House Office London Middlesex
KENT, Mary D Wife Married F 41 1820 Labourer Inspectors Wife Tiverton Devon
KENT, Mary Ann A Daughter Unmarried F 24 1837 London St Lukes, Old St, London
KENT, Elizabeth Daughter Unmarried F 28 1833 London St Lukes, Old St, London
KENT, Constance E Daughter Unmarried F 17 1844 Sidmouth Devon
KENT, Mary A S Daughter Unmarried F 5 1856 East Coulston Wiltshire
KENT, Evelina A Daughter F 2 1859 Southwick Wiltshire
KENT, ... Acland S. Son M 0 (8M) 1861 Southwick Wiltshire
KERSLAKE, Sarah Servant Unmarried F 24 1837 Cook Domestic Servant Yarnscombe Devon
WOOLEY, Mary Ann Servant Unmarried F 23 1838 Nurse Domestic Servant Bradford Yorkshire
DOEL, Emily Servant Unmarried F 15 1846 Under Nurse Domestic Servant Rowde Wiltshire

RG09 Piece: 1300 Folio: 60 Page: 6

Address:
Road Hill House, Christ Church, North Bradley, Village Road County:
Wiltshire

[ElizabethHerts]

1871

Mary Drew Kent has died. The Kent family are living in Denbighshire:

Address:
Rhydyeelgwynisa, Llanynys Maesmaen Cymro
County: Denbighshire

KENT, Samuel Savile Head M 70 1801 Middlesex
KENT, Mary Amilia Daughter F 15 1856 Wiltshire
KENT, Eveline Savill Daughter F 12 1859 Wiltshire
KENT, Acland Savill Son M 10 1861 Wiltshire
KENT, Florence Savill Daughter F 9 1862 Worcestershire
JACKSON, Lauisa Anne Governess F 32 1839 Australia
ROBERTS, Anne Servant F 26 1845 Flintshire
WILLIAMS, Jane Servant F 21 1850 Denbighshire

Notice the governess from Australia!

[Olde Crone]

Elizabeth

The Australian governess is really interesting, thankyou, that doesn't get a mention in the book......brother William Saville Kent went to Australia where he became a sort of botanist and produced some beautiful plant drawings.

OC

[Nell]

A tragic story - and how different things would have been had modern forensic investigations been around then.

[Olde Crone]

It does seem very likely that she did do it, although no reason, other than jealousy, was ever given (and not by her).

In an extraordinary twist, one of those which makes truth stranger than fiction, SIXTY EIGHT YEARS after the murder, someone published a book about the case and a year later, the author received an anonymous letter, postmarked Sydney Australia, which gave such a full account of the murder that it could only have been written by the murderer. It also mentioned the fact that Constance and her full brother William, both had Hutchinsonian teeth (a sign of congenital syphilis). Both Constance and William always went to great lengths to conceal their teeth, once they knew the significance of the appearance, so the letter writer was someone intimate with the family. Of course, at the time this letter was received, no one knew that Constance was still alive and living in Sydney.

Strangely though, the letter did not clear up a few of the "impossible" aspects of the case, and Kate Summerskill comes to the conclusion that Constance did the murder but was aided and abetted by her brother William, for whose benefit all this had been done.

OC

[Durham Lady]

This book sounded so interesting so I've just called at our library today and taken out a copy to read.
Thanks OC, I'd never have found it otherwise as I don't normally look in the crime section.

[anne fraser]

I enjoyed the book. The suspicions of Mr. Whicker ( if you have not read it). I don't suppose she was the only ex murderer living in Australia.