Hi dose anyone know what happened to Oliver Smith/?he was born Apr - jun -1877 i Newbold Derbyshire. On the 29 - 06 - 1901 he married Caroline Beatrice Lilley the 1911 census states that he was a convict in Parkhurst prison.In 1921 states that he was a visitor as a hairdresser.on the 02 - 11 - 1910 the Derbyshire times news paper he is stated as being on trail for the murder of a lady named only as Gasson and show that he was married to Caroline Beatrice Lilley and thhe was living with Ms Gasson as her husband. Caroline died Jan - Mar - 1948 in Bakewell. This is all I have been to find out about Oliver.
My Very best wqishes.
Fred Wheatcroft.

Have you tried to find Oliver on the 1939 register?

When was Caroline born?

The murdered lady was Harriet Lucy Gasson aka Smith
There are lots of newspaper articles about the case. Oliver Smith, a barber, was found guilty of her murder in November 1910 and was sentenced to death. His appeal failed in early December but on 23rd December 1910 it was announced that his sentence was reprieved by the Home Secretary. There are a couple of reports about the case on 27 Jan and 3 Feb 1911 but I have not seen the originals of those.
He presumably served a sentence for manslaughter. explaining why he was in Parkhurst on 1911 census.

Dave

Fred
In the 1921 census Oliver Smith was NOT a visitor. He was an INMATE at Maidstone Prison in Kent.
Dave

Dave, would prisoners be on the 1939 register assuming he was still in and not died.

Fred states his wife died in Bakewell in 1948 but as yet I have not found her on the 1939 register in Derbyshire so I am wondering if she could possibly have been in Kent assuming Oliver was to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Could the death he found be actually wrong and she divorced him and then remarried (I am surprised she stood by him to tell you the truth after what he had done)

Just thoughts that is all

John

Hi John,
There is a death on BMD for a:
Caroline B. Smith
Died 1943 Mar.qtr. Bakewell age 63 (c.1880)
On GRO her death is recorded as:
Caroline Beatrice Smith ..ditto...above.
HAPPY HUNTING:sleuth_or_spy:

Well bang goes my theory then..just need to find oliver now. I wonder if his death sentence was reduced to complete life in prison or is it possibly hexwas released. I wonder if we could trace his prison records or perhaps there is a newspaper article to say he was freed.

https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/record/t19101115-14 has information about the case.

Go to Related Material ... Digital Panopticon and you will some subsequent events including Granted prison license 18th October 1923 and Discharged as habitual criminal
13th November 1923.

Another click reveals: Residence and occupation Central Aid Association Hairdresser.

So, it looks like he was able to walk the streets again.

If you have a birth date you may be able to find him in the 1939 register (if he survived until then, did not join the military, or did not emigrate).

According to FMP in 1930 US Census there is an Oliver Smith. born 1877 UK, in Peoria Illinoi,
Dave

Wonder if we can find him on shipping list or on family search his death in that area it might say place of birth.



Ps on family search where is the menu to pick a specific section please

According to Ancestry
Oliver Smith born 3 June 1877 died in 1967 (May) in Hanna City, Peoria, Illinois
Dave

oops, there is an obit for that man and he was born in Illinois so false lead.
Dave

Dave, are you still confident that Oliver Smith went to the states?

Hi John thank you very much for your very kind reply. sorry for the long dely in getting back to you , I have spent the last two days search news papers for any connection with Oliver Smith and found a report that he died in Maidstone prison on the 24 - 04 - 1925.and his death sentence was comuted to life imprisonment 15 -= 11 - 1910.GRO. Apr - jun - 1925 in Hammersmith London vol 1a page 229. I have not found any marriage record of his marriage to the lady Harriet Lucy Gasson although has been reported as being married to Oliver Smith.`
Once again thank you very much for helping me to solve this sorry story.
My very best wishes.
Fred Whetacroft,

Hi Dave thank you very much for your very kind reply. sorry for the long dely in getting back to you , I have spent the last two days search news papers for any connection with Oliver Smith and found a report that he died in Maidstone prison on the 24 - 04 - 1925.and his death sentence was comuted to life imprisonment 15 -= 11 - 1910.GRO. Apr - jun - 1925 in Hammersmith London vol 1a page 229. I have not found any marriage record of his marriage to the lady Harriet Lucy Gasson although has been reported as being married to Oliver Smith.`
Once again thank you very much for helping me to solve this sorry story.
My very best wishes.
Fred Whetacroft,

Hi Wendy, thank you very much for your very kind reply. sorry for the long dely in getting back to you , I have spent the last two days search news papers for any connection with Oliver Smith and found a report that he died in Maidstone prison on the 24 - 04 - 1925.and his death sentence was comuted to life imprisonment 15 -= 11 - 1910.GRO. Apr - jun - 1925 in Hammersmith London vol 1a page 229. I have not found any marriage record of his marriage to the lady Harriet Lucy Gasson although has been reported as being married to Oliver Smith.`
Once again thank you very much for helping me to solve this sorry story.
My very best wishes.
Fred Whetacroft,

Hi Terry. thank you very much for your very kind reply. sorry for the long dely in getting back to you , I have spent the last two days search news papers for any connection with Oliver Smith and found a report that he died in Maidstone prison on the 24 - 04 - 1925.and his death sentence was comuted to life imprisonment 15 -= 11 - 1910.GRO. Apr - jun - 1925 in Hammersmith London vol 1a page 229. I have not found any marriage record of his marriage to the lady Harriet Lucy Gasson although has been reported as being married to Oliver Smith.`
Once again thank you very much for helping me to solve this sorry story.
My very best wishes.
Fred Whetacroft,

Hi Fred,
There is an interesting birth record on BMD:
OLIVER F. GASSON-SMITH
BMD Birth reg: 1907 June qtr.Uckfield..Sussex
No mmn.

GRO Birth Reg: OLIVER FREDERICK SMITH 1907 June qtr. Uckfield..Sussex mmn BROWN

There is a POSSIBLE record (but purely speculative on my part):-
SMITH (Charles)/BROWN(Mary Jane) BMD marriage record in 1906, March qtr, in Uckfield, Sussex. (considering false names may have been used)
HOWEVER, there is also a possibility the SMITH marriage was to the other lady (Eleanor Martin) also listed.
I have not checked the 1911 census to see if this couple are on it...?? If they are then we can rule them out because Oliver Smith was in jail...??
HAPPY HUNING:sleuth_or_spy:

Hi Wendy.
I one news paper it was stated as he was living with as his wife if this is the case he was living as a adulter or a bigamist If this is the case I feel very sorry for his wife.
My best wishes.
fred.