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Emma ROCK

Female 1871 - 1896  (~ 25 years)


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  • Name Emma ROCK 
    Birth Sep 1871  West Dean, Gloucestershire Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Christening 27 Jan 1872  Clearwell, Gloucestershire Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Gender Female 
    _UID 27A1E5FE35684F92970327AE8822F2E014DE 
    Death Sep 1896  Bulwell, Nottinghamshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Notes 
    • Baptised the daughter of John (stone-cutter) and Ann Rock of Sling, Glos.

      Emma was murdered by her husband. John J Minter has put together many details and given permission to use them here. John adds "I received some of the details from a descendant of George Rock and she was very willing to reveal the details. She also provided references to Newspaper items, in the public domain."

      Emma Rock was born in 1871, West Dean Gloucestershire. The daughter of John Rock and Ann Smith. She must have been one of the party of Rocks, Smiths and Heylings who all left Monmouthshire to go North for Work, some time after 1881.

      The Heylings family stopped in Derbyshire and Bulwell Notts. where a child was born in 1882. Afterwards they reached Wakefield and thence to Batley. 
      The Rocks and the Smiths seemed to go to Nottingham and stayed there.
      Emma Rock married Joseph Allcock in Radford Parish church on 7th July, 1893. She made her mark, as did her brother George Rock, a witness. Joseph signed. He was the son of Samuel Allcock, a Puncher.  They had four sons including Joseph Allcock, born 1890 in Notts, and George Henry Allcock. born 1891 in Wakefield (the other two died in infancy). For some reason this family travelled down to Wakefield and could be found next door but one to my Ancestors Charles Heyling and Sarah Ann (Rock,) in the 1891 Census. 

      In 1896 Joseph and Emma were on Key street, Bulwell along with their sons Joseph 7 and George 5. Joseph had a good job at Hucknell top Pit. Sadly Joseph began to be very jealous of Emma and her supposed boyfriend. Throwing a lamp at her and arguing and shouting. After a visit to some neighbours where Emma complained about Joseph, she left for home. Joseph followed her. At quarter past eleven two miles away in Basford, Joseph entered the police station and told the sergeant that he had murdered his wife. "She had been standing in with another man." (She hadn't.) " I wanted her to go to bed but she would not, so I cut her throat." (With a razor)
      Emma was found behind the door, dressed in nightdress and stockings she was indeed dead. Sadly the two boys were upstairs during the incident!

      At her Inquest her brother George gave evidence showing that he knew about the marriage and the jealousy, and had spent time with Joseph re-assuring him of Emma's faithfulness, to no avail.

      Although there was no doubt that Joseph committed the crime, a suggestion was made of mental illness. A local Doctor confirmed that he had treated Joseph's mother for 4 months in an Asylum, and that she died of "fits." His Aunt was still in the Asylum for dementia.  Others giving evidence were Emma's brother Robert Rock and Frances Ann Rock, George's wife. 
      Today he may have been sectioned and locked up. But he was hanged at Bagthorpe, with a long drop, and left hanging for one hour.  He was also 26. HOWEVER he was visited by his sons, briefly, accompanied by the kindly John Smith, who subsequently took the boys in.The boys became Alock, and did well. Joseph married Mary E. Butler in 1914 and had three daughters.  George Henry married Lois Davey in 1917 and had two daughters. He was an excellent violinist in a Colliery Band!

      Emma's coffin plate read  "Emma Allcock, died 17th September, 1896, aged 26." 
      The Execution warrant for Joseph said that he "Did feloniously and of his own malice murder one Emma Allcock at Nottingham, 17th September, 1896. 

      At Emma Allcock's Funeral large crowds watched on the way to the grave and the graveyard at St. Mary's Bullwell was very full.
      Surprisingly, Joseph's relatives were pushed to the front, as folk felt sorry for them too.
      There were wreaths given. 
      My great great grandmother Ann Rock (was Smith) attended, having travelled all the way from Pontypridd, aged 66!
      How did she know about the event, did she get a letter? She made a mark on her marriage to John Rock. Did she go by rail??"
    Person ID I1979  North Suffolk, Suffolk
    Last Modified 11 Feb 2022 

    Father John ROCK,   b. 1818, Bristol, Gloucestershire Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 30 May 1889, Monmouth Union Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 71 years) 
    Mother Ann SMITH,   b. Abt 1831, West Dean, Gloucestershire Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Sep 1899, Pontypridd RD Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 68 years) 
    Marriage 24 Dec 1853  Newland Parish Church, Gloucestershire Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    • Married after banns. John Rock, 33, widower, quarry man of Clearwell, father Benjamin Rock, gardener. Ann Smith, 24, spinster of Clearwell, father John Smith. quarry man. John signed, Ann marked. Witnesses William Williams and Maria Lander.
    Family ID F664  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Joseph ALLCOCK,   b. Abt 1869, Nottingham Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Dec 1896, Nottingham Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 27 years) 
    Marriage Sep 1888  Nottingham RD Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Children 
     1. Albert ALLCOCK,   b. Dec 1888, Basford RD Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Dec 1888, Nottingham RD Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 0 years)
     2. Joseph ALLCOCK,   b. Jun 1890, Basford RD Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     3. George Henry ALLCOCK,   b. 2 Nov 1891, Wakefield RD Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     4. John ALLCOCK,   b. Mar 1894, Basford RD Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Dec 1895, Basford RD Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 1 years)
    Family ID F675  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 9 Feb 2022 

  • Sources 
    1. [S2] BMD index, Q3 1871 Monmouth 11a/17. (Reliability: 3).

    2. [S243] Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1913 at ancestry.com.

    3. [S2] BMD index, aged 26, Q3 1896 Basford 7b/117. (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S2] BMD index, Q4 1853 Monmouth 11a/67. (Reliability: 3).

    5. [S2] BMD index, Q3 1888 Nottingham 7b/389. (Reliability: 3).