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Martha Ann Betts Trigg nee Williams

Chalkpit House, Great Mongeham
Hope Cottage, Middle Road, Walmer
York Street, Walmer
18 The Strand, Walmer
4 Russell Terrace, Walmer
2 Kilmorie Road, Sydenham, Lewisham, London
62 Esmond Road, Bedford Park, Acton, London
217 Yarborough Road, Lincoln

Occupation: Boot and Shoe Proprietor

Martha Ann Betts Williams was born 21 May 1841 in Great Mongeham where her father was an agricultural labourer. Martha must have grown up surrounded by her many siblings honing her skills as a wife and mother as she helped with domestic and childcare duties. In 1862 Martha married William Trigg a bootmaker from Wadhurst in Sussex. William’s father was a labourer but the 1851 census shows us that all his children, including William, were receiving some sort of an education. It seems William put his to good use and after marrying Martha he set up as a Bootmaker in Deal. He then appears on the 1870 census as having moved to Walmer, a cottage on the Dover Road from where he ran his business. He was obviously successful and by 1881 he had opened a shop on The Strand. William ran adverts in the local paper to alert people to his premises and the type of service that could be expected from him. 

Deal, Walmer & Sandwich Mercury 25 August 1883

Throughout the following decade the family prospered with William either purchasing or leasing a property, 4 Russell Terrace, again on The Strand. Today’s  Fish & Chip Shop formed part of Russell Terrace. William does not appear in the 1891 census as he sadly died in the February of that year. His Will informs us that he died at 4 Russell Terrace and his wife, Martha, is now Head of the family.

Russell Terrace

During her marriage to William, Martha gave birth to eleven children. After William’s death Martha takes over the business with her daughter Jessie, and son Albert. Her younger daughter, Lily, joins the family business during that decade. In 1901 we find Martha, retired, and  living in Lewisham with Alice, Gideon,Lilian and Austin. It appears the rest of the family married and stayed in the Deal area or moved towards the north of the country looking for work.

In 1908 in the Fulham Chronicle there is a very sad report of Gideon ( misprint of surname as ‘Twigg’) having been discovered floating in the Thames. His wife testified that Gideon had been depressed of late. The jury returned a verdict of ‘Found drowned.’

Daily Telegraph May 1905

Martha’s youngest son was given the grand name of William Ewart Gladstone Trigg. Originally William decided not to go into the family Boot making business but in 1897, at the age of 18 years he enlisted in the Royal Artillery. He fought in South Africa during the 2nd Boar War and by 1902 he was listed as a Bombardier, This rank in the Royal Artillery was similar to that of a Corporal. We cannot discover when William left the Army but we know he  joined the Police force on November 4 1905 at the age of 28. He married his cousin, Ava Williams, in Walmer, and then moved to Lincolnshire where his promotion was rapid. Within 2 years he reached the rank of Superintendent and was awarded an MBE in January 1918 for his work in preparing his force for their role in WW1. 

Martha must have been exceptionally proud of her son. According to probate she was living with William and his family in Lincoln when she passed away in 1928. She wasn’t to see him represent the Police Superintendents of England at the funeral of King George V in January 1936 and, thankfully, wasn’t to witness his fall from grace the following year. 

Mercury & Guardian 12 March 1937

According to both local and national newspapers of the day William was committed to trial at Lincoln City Police Court for ‘irregularities in the headquarter’s accounts’. He was accused of theft, forgery and the uttering of forged documents. It seems William was short of money and had not only been falsifying police accounts but attempted to obtain a Police Pension early by producing a false certificate of service which contained dates altered by himself. The sums involved ranged from  £88 to 1 ½ pence which he had stolen from the Postage Account, but altogether he had taken over £200. 

William wept in the dock during the trial. Unsurprisingly he had his MBE and Police Medal removed, was dismissed from the force and received 3 years Penal Servitude. When handing down the sentence the judge said ‘ The truth was that he was not really fitted (sic) to carry the responsibilities of the high office to which he had been promoted.’ We know that by the time his mother passed away he was a  Deputy Chief Constable.

Occupation: Boot and Shoe Proprietor

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