Luther (Thomas) Gosney

  General Notes:

Birth Cert shows name as Lowther, marriage cert shows name as Luther.
In reform school in 1881.
LABOURER
Lorraine Sutherland notes:
Eleanor's sister (also Violet) was married to Walter Gosney (Sidney's brother) and Uncle Walt & Aunty Vi, spent almost every summer holiday of his life searching Dorset and Cornwall for his father, or information about his father. My aunty Cissie (also Eleanor's daughter with Sidney) thought the name of her grandfather was Lucienne not Luther (Lowther). I note that it appears he died in 1947, and it's quite sad to think that a generation ago it wasn't possible to find information as easily as we can today.

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Linda Preslands (nee Richards) & Darren Hinwood who writes:
Interesting to see Luther ! He was quite a character ! He underwent a name change (Thomas), probably due to his shady record. He had been in Borstal, in Sherbourne Dorset, and Prison in Winchester (see below).

LUTHER GOSNEY SHERBOURNE. SUMM

10th October 1876 Stealing Tin Horns 21 days + 5 years reformatory Dorchester.

****************
Age 23 Fireman Magistrate J Everett Colbury Totton (could be Holbury)

(there seems to be a slight problem with the dates that follow but not sure if I copied it wrong or the entry was inaccurate)

11-7-1890(?) Warrant issued and arrest made.

For stealing £7.10 shillings in gold
1 Silver hunting watch
1 Silver chain
1 Brass chain
from the dwelling house of Samuel Bessant. The property of Thomas Bessant & George Bessant. at Eling on 4-8-1890 (?)

2nd count. Receiving feloniously. Well knowing the same to have been stolen.

TRIAL DATE 14-10-1890 before W Holden Esq.

Pleaded guilty of stealing from dwelling house above the value of £5, after 2 previous convictions as follows.
7-9-1882
Stealing a box and money 1 month imprisonment
Stealing a tablecloth 1 month further imprisonment

SENTENCED TO 10 MONTHS PRISON.
& Michael & Amanda Gregory [thesingingbowl@blueyonder.co.uk] who note:
I was interested to see your Gosney and Hinwood research as my Great Grandmother was Elizabeth Caroline Evans/Gosney nee Hinwood.

She married Luther/Lowther Gosney in 1892. As a family, we were told Luther "died in the very early 1900's" and Elizabeth then went on to marry my Great Grandfather Trevor Evans in 1908. We have since found out that Luther was very much alive and didn't die until 1947 when he was 80.

Luckily my Grandmother (Doris "Doll" Stevens nee Evans) is no longer around to know this, as it would have been a terrible shock to her had she known the truth.

Suzanne Stuart adds:
Here is a bit more information on the refomatory that Luther was in.
The DORSET REFORMATORY SCHOOL for boys is
at this place. The buildings were erected by public
subscription, on the property of Mrs. Michel, and
were opened for the reception of boys convicted
under the Juvenile Offenders Act (17 and 18
Vict. c. 86) at the commencement of the year
1857. A committee of management superintends
the admissions, dismissals, and other incidents
of the school. The care of the boys is entrusted
to a master and labour-master, both of whom
take a part in instruction during school hours.
The greater portion of the boys' time is occupied
in field labour. Some are instructed in shoe-
making; and those who evince talents are taught
music, which renders them eligible for a, mili-
tary Band when they leave the school: five
enlisted in the year 1860. Soon after a boy is a
sent to a reformatory, inquiries are instituted as
to the parents' means, and a weekly sum is
charged to them by an order of magistrates, or
varying from one to five shillings per week.
The Government report of 1859 states that the
number of certified reformatories in England
and Wales was 58, in which 1830 boys and 358 at
girls were detained, and shows the decrease of
commitments to reformatories in that year to
have been 26 per cent, as compared with the
number of 1857.
The school buildings comprise the master's
house, a schoolroom, and dormitory to accommo-
date 22 boys, with the necessary outbuildings.
To J. C. Mansel, esq. of Longthorns, belongs
the credit of having been the chief instrument in
the introduction of this useful and truly Christian
plan into the county of Dorset; and not a little
of the success hitherto met with in the treat-
ment of the inmates, and their restoration to an
honest and honourable life, may conscientiously
be attributed to his earnest and philanthropic
supervision."

There is also a bit about it in the Kellys directory 1903

"Dorset County Boys home opened in 1857 as a reformatory, but adapted to
its present purpose in 1881. There are now 60 boys (besides 30 on
licence), who are trained for agricultural pursuits, tailoring ,
shoemaking, baking and military music; this scho0l was founded by the late
J. C. Mansel-Pleydell Esq of Whatcombe and transferred to the County
Council in 1901. Jn Wm Walker Superintendent and secretary

• connection. My connection to Geoffrey Hewitt is:

Geoffrey Hewitt (c1940) married Rita Hinwood (1932)
Her father was Bertrum Hinwood (1909)
His father was Alexander Hinwood (1877)
His father was Henry Hinwood (1842) & he also had Elizabeth Hinwood (1873) who married Luther Gosney (1866)
They had Sidney Gosney (1892) who married Eleanor Kedwood (1897)
Her father was Thomas Kedwood (1873) & he also had Eleanor Kedward (1897) who married Daniel Richards (1898)
They had David Richards (1925)
He had Linda Richards (1951) who married Adrian Presland (1948)
His father was James Presland (1913)
His father was Arthur Presland (1884)
His father was Walther Presland (1861) who married Eliza Huckle (1862)
Her father was James Huckle (1842)
His father was Henry Huckle (1811)
His father was James Huckle (1781)
His father was Henry Huckle (1761) & he also had Anne Huckle (1787) who married George Larkins (1789)
They had George Larkinson (1817)
He had Frederick George Larkinson (1865) who married Laura Kershaw Waldock or Moss (1864)
They had Winthrop Larkinson (1889)
He had Dulcie Larkinson (1926) who married Colin Davies (1925)
She had me- Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

• connection. My connection to Sonia is:
Sonia ? . . .
Was raised by . . .
Arthur Gosney (1894)
His father was Luther Gosney (1866) who married Elizabeth Hinwood (1873)
& they also had Sidney Gosney (1892) who married Eleanor Kedwood (1897)
Her father was Thomas Kedwood (1873) & he also had Eleanor Kedward (1897) who married Daniel Richards (1898)
They had David Richards (1925)
He had Linda Richards (1951) who married Adrian Presland (1948)
His father was James Presland (1913)
His father was Arthur Presland (1884)
His father was Walther Presland (1861) who married Eliza Huckle (1862)
Her father was James Huckle (1842)
His father was Henry Huckle (1811)
His father was James Huckle (1781)
His father was Henry Huckle (1761) & he also had Anne Huckle (1787) who married George Larkins (1789)
They had George Larkinson (1817)
He had Frederick George Larkinson (1865) who married Laura Kershaw Waldock or Moss (1864)
They had Winthrop Larkinson (1889)
He had Dulcie Larkinson (1926) who married Colin Davies (1925)
They had me- Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

Luther married Elizabeth Caroline Hinwood, daughter of Henry Hinwood and Ellen Farley, on 9 Jan 1892 in Warminster, Wiltshire England. (Elizabeth Caroline Hinwood was born on 10 Apr 1873 in Portway, Warminster, Wiltshire England.)