Joseph Montgomery is the first of only two tenants I can find for our home, living here whilst it was owned by Paul and Nellie Parkinson in the 1920/30s.
He was born on 17 January 1881 in Belfast, Antrim. At that time, his father, James Montgomery was 27 years old working as a 'Yard Dryer' and his mother, Eliza Wylie Montgomery was 28 years old. Joseph was the fifth of ten siblings and they were brought up in a Presbyterian home in the Saint Anne's Ward area of Belfast.
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| 1901 Census The Montgomerys 37 Thomas Street, St Anne's, Belfast |
Census records show that most of the family remained in Northern Ireland and worked predominantly in the textile industry, but by 1901 Joseph had come across the Irish Sea and was boarding in a house in Liverpool, working as a 'Bricklayer'. His later employment records show he was working for Messers Joshua Henshaw and Sons ((Liverpool) at that time.
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| 1901 Census 43 Taylor Street, Liverpool |
On 16th June 1905 Joseph joined the Lancashire Constabulary and was given a collar number of 90. Following training he was posted to the Warrington Division on 9th January 1906 on the Leigh area beat. His employment records show he was granted permission to marry his sweetheart, Ellen Elizabeth Hilton aka Skelton, who was from the Tyldesley area of Manchester on 16th April 1910 and they married at the Congregational Church in Leigh on 11th July 1910. On the 16th July 1910 he was then posted to Rochdale.
The following year they are found on the 1911 census living together at 46, Parkfield Terrace, Norden, Rochdale when Joseph was employed as a 'police constable'.
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| 1911 Census 46 Parkfield Terrace, Rochdale |
They had two child during their marriage, Annie who was born on 8th August 1913 in the Barton-upon-Irwell district of Greater Manchester and Harold Wylie who was born on 14th July 1911 in Nelson, Lancashire.
On 21st August 1916 Joseph was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and a month later was transferred to Queensferry Munition Works in support of the war effort. It was here that he got himself in trouble after being admonished on 12th December 1917 for, "dealing with army property from a soldier and telling his Inspector an untruth", for which he was transferred to Aintree in the Seaforth Division, one would assume as punishment!
On the 15th April 1920 he was then transferred to Grange-over-Sands and was highly commended for his arrest of a hotel thief on 19th February 1921.
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| 1921 Census - Police Station, Main Street, Grange-over-Sands |
It appears he spent several years in the West Lancashire area and on 1st January 1923 he was promoted to Inspector and posted to St Anne's in the Kirkham Division. At that time he was living at 6 Oxford Avenue, St. Annes.
Four years later he transferred to Prestwich but again fell foul of his employers following an unlawful arrest of a man named Thomas Clay on 11th May 1928; he was immediately transferred to another division, Leyland, posted to Chorley at his own cost!
This must have been a difficult time but he soon found lodgings at 54 Regent Road and remained in the town until his eventual retirement on 5th July 1936 at the age of 55 years following 31 years and 19 days service.
Directory records from that year, probably complied in late 1935, confirm he had risen to the rank of Inspector and was living here.
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| 1936 Barratt's Directory |
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| 1939 Register Joseph Montgomery |
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| 50 Glen Eldon Road, Lytham St Annes |
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| 1957 Probate of Joseph Montgomery St Annes-on-Sea |
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