Joseph Frederick Ernest Binks

Joseph Frederick Ernest Binks was born on August 25, 1854 at 6 Lower Burrage Place, Plumstead Kent.

Breaking the family tradition, he did not take up carpentry as a profession, but instead joined the City London Police Force on January 10^th 1878. He was stationed at 5 Snow Hill City Police Station, St Bartholomew the Lesser as a Police Constable. His warrant number was 5142 and his divisional number, 287.

There is a legend that at some point he went to Canada and joined the Canadian mounted police, though after some research this now seems unlikely.

Joseph married Emily Leaves (born January 1, 1862) on July 17, 1882 at the Parish Church, Kingstone, Somerset. Emily was born in Allowenshay, Kingstone, Somerset and moved to London where (in 1881) she was working as a domestic servant at St. George's Hospital. Her sister, Christiana, married Joseph's brother, William Alexander Ivan Binks. (Two sisters married two brothers).

Joseph and Emily's first child (Joseph William) was born in Kingstone only a few months after the marriage indicating that Emily was already pregnant at the time of the marriage. It is not clear why their child was born in Kingstone. Joseph was employed by the City of London Police and could not have stayed in Somerset for the entire period from the date of his marriage to the birth of his child. However, Emily may well have done so, for the sake of the health of both Mother and child. It seems unlikely that she, already being a few months pregnant at the time of her marriage,  would have travelled home to London, only to have returned to Somerset months later - and heavily pregnant to have the baby. A similar episode may have occurred regarding the birth of a later child, Christina Emily (see her page for details).

On May 22nd1890, Joseph was dismissed from the City of London Police - supposedly for drinking while on duty. By the time of the 1891 census he was simply a 'night watchman', and by 1892 he had changed his career entirely and worked as a warehouse porter for a hairpin manufacturer.

Joseph and Emily had at least fourteen children, and Joseph died at Islington Infirmary on August 31, 1919.

Sometime bet. January - March 1928, Emily married Ernest Walter Sheldrick (born Islington, bet. April-June 1871) in Islington. Emily died sometime between January to March 1934 in Islington.

Emily Leaves (later in life) with 2nd husband, Ernest Walter Sheldrick.