Ten years later, according to the 1881 Census, the Jefferies family had moved to 18 Poynder Terrace (pictured below). Henry, now aged 13, was working as a general labourer, while his father was employed as an engine driver. Apart from oldest son Henry, there were now seven other children: Walter Ernest (11), Lucy (10), Ellen (8), William Joseph (6), Joseph Edward (4), Elizabeth (2) and Eliza (2 months). All three of Henry’s younger brothers would, like him, go on to serve in the Metropolitan Police. Interestingly, a few doors away from the Jefferies family at 11 Poynder Terrace there lived a 49-year-old bricklayer’s labourer called William Sutton. This man must have had some interesting stories to tell. As a private in the 60th Foot, William Sutton had won the Victoria Cross at the siege of Delhi during the Indian Mutiny in 1857.
At some point before the 1881 Census, George Pearson, a labourer at a lime works, his wife Kate and their seven children had moved into 4 Victoria Terrace - possibly while the Jefferies were still living at 5 Victoria Terrace. Their oldest daughter Jane Elizabeth Ann was a year older than Henry Jefferies. It is not clear when exactly they got to know each other but on 25th March 1888 they were married at the church of St John the Baptist in Halling. The following day, Henry Jefferies joined the Metropolitan Police and was issued with Warrant No: 73533. Initially, he joined 4th Division (Chatham Dockyard) for a couple of weeks and then transferred to R Division (Greenwich) for the rest of his police career.
On the 1891 Census, Henry and Jane Jefferies together with their 7-month-old daughter Grace are living in two rooms at 40 St James Place, Plumstead. Ten years later, the 1901 Census has the family, now consisting of Henry (33), Jane (34) and three children - Grace Jane (10), Ruth Hannah (8) and Jabez Henry (5) - living in six rooms at 1a Dawson Street, Plumstead. Henry’s younger brother John (a machine operator in the rolling mills of the Royal Arsenal), sister Elizabeth (a domestic housemaid) and niece Caroline (a domestic servant) are also included on the Census entry but it is not certain if the three were living there permanently or just visiting.
The 1911 Census lists Henry (43), Jane (44) and their family at the same address. Grace (20) was now working as a draper’s assistant; Ruth (18) was a hairdresser’s apprentice and Jabez (16) was an electrical engineer’s apprentice. There were also two new additions to the family: Joseph George (7) and Esther May (2). On 21st July 1913, his 18th birthday, Jabez joined the Royal Navy and served during the First World War on the Destroyers HMS Lucifer and HMS Phoebe and the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Otranto.
Henry Jefferies resigned from the Metropolitan Police on 25th May 1921. He was 53 years old and had served for a total of 32 years and 334 days. His intended place of residence was given as 1a Dawson Street, Plumstead, where he and his wife had been living for at least 20 years. During most of his time with R Division (Greenwich), Police Constable Henry Jefferies had worked as the Coroner’s Officer and there is no better summary of his career than to quote in full a lengthy article that appeared in The Kentish Independent and Kentish Mail on Friday 27th May 1921.
CORONER’S OFFICER RETIRES
EIGHT THOUSAND INQUESTS
Police Orders announce the retirement from the force after thirty-three years’ service of Constable Henry Jefferies, who for twenty-nine years has acted as Coroner’s Officer at Woolwich, having served six coroners and deputy coroners. “Jeff” leaves the force with the best wishes of his comrades and everyone else with whom he has come into contact, and his experiences would make a most interesting book of reminiscences.
During twenty-nine years he has made the preliminary enquiries relating to the deaths of 8,000 persons, and he has a rich store of anecdotes and facts regarding many of the most curious. One of his earliest enquiries related to the death by drowning of the mate of a barge lying off Woolwich. It was stated by relatives that the deceased was wearing a silver watch and chain. Six hours after receiving information the body was found by two watermen on the north foreshore of the river. Jefferies attended with two undertakers, who left the vehicle containing the shell on the south side while they went to view the body. Jefferies noticed that there was no watch and chain, and remarked upon the fact to the undertakers. Leaving the two watermen near-by, he went with the undertakers to get the shell. When they returned the watch and chain were adjusted on the clothes of the deceased. The watermen declared that it had never been missing!
In April, 1898, Jefferies had to deal with the body of Harriet Howard, who was murdered by John William Sands at 19, Kidd Street, Woolwich. Sands was subsequently ordered to be detained during his Majesty’s pleasure.
The behaviour of a jury in a case of the murder in the same month was unique. Robert Ando was shot in the right eye by John Turner, a seaman, whom Ando and others were about to rob. The witnesses at the inquest - four men and a woman - were strongly suspected of being the confederates of the deceased. The foreman of the jury informed Turner, who was under arrest, that they had decided to let him off, and added that he would have done the public a service if he had shot most of the witnesses. After a remonstrance from the coroner, a verdict of “manslaughter” was returned, but Turner was subsequently acquitted at the trial.
A curious case was the mysterious death of Henry Tozer, veterinary surgeon, of High Street, Plumstead, and his wife, Ellen Tozer, found dead at their house. No cause of death could be discovered.
Jefferies also recounts the story of a body found on the foreshore of the Thames. An inquest was held, and the burial took place. Some time after a man arrived with a photograph, and as a result of enquiry the body was exhumed. The man, a doctor, and Jefferies, all agreed that it was the man in the photograph whom the visitor stated was Ernest Spence, and a statutory declaration was made to that effect. Three weeks later the Commissioner of Police informed the coroner that a letter had been received from South Africa from Ernest Spence stating that he was alive and well.
The lyddite explosion at the Arsenal in 1903, when 16 deaths occurred, and many were injured, the fatal fire at Park Road, Plumstead, at Easter, 1905, and the “pines tragedy” in 1908, when Arthur John Robinson murdered his sweetheart, Edith Cranfield, were some of the more important cases in which Jefferies has been concerned during his career.
THE CORONER’S TRIBUTE
The coroner, addressing Constable Jefferies at the Woolwich Court, on Tuesday, said: I understand that you are about to retire from the discharge of your duties as coroner’s officer for this district, after having acted in that capacity for something like 29 years; your total service in the police force extending over such a long period as 33 years. In bidding farewell to you officially, I should like to say a few words in appreciation of you and your work from my point of view. You are retiring after a long and honourable career in the police force and as coroner’s officer, and you have served with distinction under no less than six coroners, to all of whom you have given consistent satisfaction. With regard to myself, I desire to say that you have always given me the most complete satisfaction, and you have presented your cases to the court in a manner which proved you have the routine of coroners’ courts at your finger ends. You have been of the greatest assistance to me, and I have had ample evidence that you have shown the greatest kindness and consideration in your treatment of the bereaved persons who have passed through your hands, and who must have keenly appreciated your tactful and sympathetic attitude. In conclusion, I again thank you very much for your help, and I wish that you may be long preserved to enjoy your retirement and pension.
