Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield was born in Sherringham, Norfolk, the birthplace of her father. Her parents, James Shinkfield and Elizabeth Wright married in the Church of St Leonards, Shoreditch in 1830 and Carline was born two years later. Various census returns give her birthplace as either the City of London or Sheringham, Norfolk, and it seems likely that having migrated from the country to the metropolis to get married that they returned to Norfolk for the birth of their daughter Caroline. She was baptised in the Church of St Mary Mounthaw in the City of London on 22 July 1838 [1], when she was six years old and her family were living in Labour-in-Vain Court, City of London and her father's occupation shown as corn meter. Caroline was an only child and although her birth pre-dates the start of civil registration, it was likely that she was born in Norfolk. Caroline's immediate family are shown below.

Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield (1832-1912)

Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield's Immediate Family

The 1841 census [2] for London City shows James and Elizabeth Shinkfield living at 13 Labour-in-Vain Court together with their daughter Caroline. James' occupation is shown as a lighterman and living with them at the same address are Thomas Wilkins, aged 25 and Mary Wilkins aged 13. The reason that Thomas and Mary Wilkins were living in lodgings were that their parents had both recently died, so the Wilkins family had split-up. Some eight years later in 1849, Caroline was to marry Thomas and Mary's brother, Joseph.

On Sunday 9th September 1849 Caroline Elizabeth, a spinster aged 17, married Joseph Wilkins a bachelor aged 24 at the church of St Andrew Holborn in the City of London [3]. Both Caroline and her husband Joseph were living in Charles Street, and the witnesses were James Marks, an apprentice lightermanfrom Horsleydown and Dinah Tucker Boyer. It is probable that James was a workmate of Joseph.

The 1851 census [4] for London City shows Caroline living with her family at the 19 Upper Thames Street, (the White Lion public house of which his father-in-law James Shinkfield is listed as the licensee). Two other members of Caroline's husband's family were also staying at the White Lion.

On the 8 July 1851, Caroline Wilkins was serving in the bar of the White Lion when John Wilson came in around lunch-time, ordered a half-pint of beer and attempted to pay for it with a counterfeit shilling. As Wilson left the pub, Caroline realised she had been given a 'bad shilling', and chased after him, catching up with him about 200m along Upper Thames Street, where he was handed into the custody of a police office. An account of the ensuing trial at the Old Bailey is given here John Wilson Trial [5]

Sometime around 1853, the Shinkfield family moved from the White Lion public house at 19 Upper Thames Street to the Grapes Coffee shop at 206 Upper Thames street. By the time of the 1861 census [6], however, James Shinkfield had died and his wife Elizabeth had taken over as licensee of the Grapes coffee shop. Caroline was living with her husband, Joseph and their daughter Mary Elizabeth aged 7, son Joseph aged 6 and daughter Sarah Ann aged 5.

The Wilkins family had moved on in the ten years since the last census and were living at number 43 St Andrew's Hill in the city of London. Caroline's mother Elizabeth had died and the licensee for the Grapes had been sold. The 1871 census [7] for London City which shows Joseph living with his wife Caroline, his daughters Mary aged 18, a servant, daughter Anne aged 16 a servant, his son Joseph aged 14 also a servant and daughters Matilda aged 7, Lydia aged 4 and Alice aged 1 year. Joseph's wife Caroline is listed as a lunatic, maybe not too surprising as her father, James Shinkfield died from the effects of an epileptic fit.

By the time of the 1881 census [8] for London City the Wilkins family were living at 6 Crown Court. Caroline and her husband Joseph were living with their daughters Lydia and Alice and sons Alfred and James and granddaughter Alice, aged 1 year.

Ten years later they had moved back to St Andrew's Hill 1891 census [9] where the family occupied two rooms. Caroline was employed as an office cleaner, her daughter Alice a book folder, son Alfred a carman (driver of a horse-drawn vehicle or tram), and son James a warehouse boy.

By the time of the 1901 census [10] Caroline and her family had moved back to number 39 St Anne's Chambers, Water Lane. Although her husband Joseph had now retired, Caroline was still working as a charwoman. Her sons Alfred and Edward were working as a carman and a warehouseman, respectively whilst her daughter Alice was working as a bookfolder. There is a William C Wilkins aged 10 listed as her son, but this almost certainly isn't her son, maybe her grandson.

Caroline, aged 77, together with her husband Josepeh, were patients in the London Union Infirmary, Clifton Road, Clapton at the time of the 1911 census [11].

Caroline Wilkins died on Friday 23 February 1912 aged seventy-eight in the London Union Infirmary in Clapton from the effects of senile decay and morbus cordis (heart disease) [12]. She died less than two weeks before her husband, Joseph both suffering from senile decay.

Notes and Abbreviations:

  1.  St Mary Mounthaw Parish Register, baptism of Caroline Shinkfield, 1838
  2.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/722/10 f8 p9
  3.  GRO, Marriage Certificate Joseph Wilkins and Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1849
  4.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/1528 f172r
  5.  Old Bailey Trail of John Wilson, 18 August 1851, Ref. t18510818-1593
  6.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/224 f65v
  7.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/427 f7r
  8.  National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/378 f27v
  9.  National Archives, 1891 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG12/239 f23v
  10.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/265 f37r
  11.  National Archives, 1911 Census for England and Wales
  12.  GRO, Death Certificate Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1912
  13.  'C Shinkfield' stands for 'Caroline Shinkfield'

Notes and Abbreviations:

  1.  St Mary Mounthaw Parish Register, baptism of Caroline Shinkfield, 1838
  2.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/722/10 f8 p9
  3.  GRO, Marriage Certificate Joseph Wilkins and Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1849
  4.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/1528 f172r
  5.  Old Bailey Trail of John Wilson, 18 August 1851, Ref. t18510818-1593
  6.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/224 f65v
  7.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/427 f7r
  8.  National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/378 f27v
  9.  National Archives, 1891 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG12/239 f23v
  10.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/265 f37r
  11.  National Archives, 1911 Census for England and Wales
  12.  GRO, Death Certificate Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1912
  13.  'Crl' stands for 'Caroline'

Notes:

  1.  St Mary Mounthaw Parish Register, baptism of Caroline Shinkfield, 1838
  2.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/722/10 f8 p9
  3.  GRO, Marriage Certificate Joseph Wilkins and Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1849
  4.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/1528 f172r
  5.  Old Bailey Trail of John Wilson, 18 August 1851, Ref. t18510818-1593
  6.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/224 f65v
  7.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/427 f7r
  8.  National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/378 f27v
  9.  National Archives, 1891 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG12/239 f23v
  10.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/265 f37r
  11.  National Archives, 1911 Census for England and Wales
  12.  GRO, Death Certificate Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1912

Notes:

  1.  St Mary Mounthaw Parish Register, baptism of Caroline Shinkfield, 1838
  2.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/722/10 f8 p9
  3.  GRO, Marriage Certificate Joseph Wilkins and Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1849
  4.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/1528 f172r
  5.  Old Bailey Trail of John Wilson, 18 August 1851, Ref. t18510818-1593
  6.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/224 f65v
  7.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/427 f7r
  8.  National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/378 f27v
  9.  National Archives, 1891 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG12/239 f23v
  10.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/265 f37r
  11.  National Archives, 1911 Census for England and Wales
  12.  GRO, Death Certificate Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1912

Notes:

  1.  St Mary Mounthaw Parish Register, baptism of Caroline Shinkfield, 1838
  2.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/722/10 f8 p9
  3.  GRO, Marriage Certificate Joseph Wilkins and Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1849
  4.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/1528 f172r
  5.  Old Bailey Trail of John Wilson, 18 August 1851, Ref. t18510818-1593
  6.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/224 f65v
  7.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/427 f7r
  8.  National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/378 f27v
  9.  National Archives, 1891 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG12/239 f23v
  10.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/265 f37r
  11.  National Archives, 1911 Census for England and Wales
  12.  GRO, Death Certificate Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1912

Notes:

  1.  St Mary Mounthaw Parish Register, baptism of Caroline Shinkfield, 1838
  2.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/722/10 f8 p9
  3.  GRO, Marriage Certificate Joseph Wilkins and Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1849
  4.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/1528 f172r
  5.  Old Bailey Trail of John Wilson, 18 August 1851, Ref. t18510818-1593
  6.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/224 f65v
  7.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/427 f7r
  8.  National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/378 f27v
  9.  National Archives, 1891 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG12/239 f23v
  10.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/265 f37r
  11.  National Archives, 1911 Census for England and Wales
  12.  GRO, Death Certificate Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1912

Notes:

  1.  St Mary Mounthaw Parish Register, baptism of Caroline Shinkfield, 1838
  2.  National Archives, 1841 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/722/10 f8 p9
  3.  GRO, Marriage Certificate Joseph Wilkins and Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1849
  4.  National Archives, 1851 Census for England and Wales, Ref. HO 107/1528 f172r
  5.  Old Bailey Trail of John Wilson, 18 August 1851, Ref. t18510818-1593
  6.  National Archives, 1861 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG9/224 f65v
  7.  National Archives, 1871 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG10/427 f7r
  8.  National Archives, 1881 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG11/378 f27v
  9.  National Archives, 1891 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG12/239 f23v
  10.  National Archives, 1901 Census for England and Wales, Ref. RG13/265 f37r
  11.  National Archives, 1911 Census for England and Wales
  12.  GRO, Death Certificate Caroline Elizabeth Shinkfield, 1912
  

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