Frederick Kirk 1888

 FREDERICK ALFRED KIRK born 1888 in Leicester

In the year of 1888 the first victims of Jack the Ripper are discovered in London. Glasgow Celtic play their first game against Rangers, winning 5-2 and In England, the first Football League matches are played. Annie Besant organises the London matchgirls' strike, the strike was caused by the poor working conditions in the match factory and the dismissal of one of the workers. The first recorded film is made in Leeds called the Roundhay Garden Scene, it is just two seconds and 18 frames in length. T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) is born in the August of 1888.

Frederick my great grandfather, was born on the 3rd March 1888 at 134 Cranbourne Street, Leicester. His father was Alfred Oswin Kirk and his mother was Charlotte Ann Mason. When he was born his father was employed as a shoe maker, a trade that Frederick was to initially take up himself. In the 1901 Census he is already working as a shoe laster, aged just 13, at this time the family are living at 6 Foundry Square near the parish church of St Marks.

Shoe making was a major source of employment in the city, in fact at its height, the Leicester boot and shoe industry manufactured more goods than were produced anywhere else in Britain. After leaving the shoe making industry Frederick went on to become a mechanical engineer.

He was married to Harriet Elizabeth Blissett on the 26th September 1908 at Leicester Register Office, Harriett also worked in the shoe trade as a machinist. Frederick is living at 16 Navigation Street and Harriett is boarding at 52 Catherine Street, they both move in there after the wedding with Alexander and Elizabeth Smart. Harriett noted on her certificate that her father was called Alexander Blissett, i'm not sure this is true as i believe she was Illegitimate and her surname Blissett came from her mother's side. 

Altogether they had 13 children, the first Catherine Elizabeth Kirk was born on the 15th October 1908, she was also known as kit and you can see her picture in Frederick's Images link below. Their 2nd child was a son called Jack, born in 1909, unfortunately he died very young in January 1910, they were living at 52 Catherine Street at the time. Then they had a daughter called Alice and then three sons, Frederick, Alexander and Alfred or Alf. Alf was captured in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese in World War II, you can read all about his experiences at that time in the link below. 

Frederick and Harriet's next child was another daughter called Vera & then a son called Charles, i visited Charles a number of times and you can see a lot of his photos in the Images link below. My grandfather Raymond was the 9th child and born at Martin Street, Leicester on the 13th Dec 1921. The house in Martin Street where Frederick & Harriet had moved to with their growing family was a small 2 up - 2 down building, grandad can remember having to sleep top to toe with his brothers to try and squeeze everyone in. In the picture of the Martin Street in the Images link below you can see the toll gate that was placed at one end. All the family was packed into this tiny house before they moved to Bentbow Rise, Braunstone to help accommodate their growing family. Next came a sequence of boys, Roland, Frank, who died as a child, then Neville and the last child was Terry, he was born in 1932. Harriet, Frederick's wife died in 1946 and was buried at St Peters Church at Braunstone, Frederick passed away in 1970.

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FREDERICK ALFRED KIRK born 1888 in Leicester

Born.     3rd March 1888 at 134 Cranbourne Street, Leicester.

Census 1891.  Frederick Age 3.  Profession - Scholar 

                Born - Leicester

                Address - Lodging at 128 Cranbourne Street, Leicester

                Civil Parish - St Margarets

                Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marks

                Living With Father - Alfred Kirk (30) 

                 - Profession - Shoe Maker

                Mother - Charlotte (25) and Brother Albert (3 Months)

 Census 1901.  Age 13.  Profession - Shoe Laster

               Born - Leicester

               Address - 6 Foundry Square, Leicester

               Civil Parish - Leicester Formerly St Margarets

               Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marks

               Living With Father - Alfred Kirk (39) & Mother Charlotte (36)

               and Brothers Albert(10), Charles (4) & Goodman (1)

               and Sister Catherine (6)

Marriage.  26 September 1908  Frederick Alfred Kirk Age 20.

                Engineer Mechanic

                Residence - 19 Navigation Street, Leicester

                Father - Alfred Kirk.  Framework Knitter 

                To Harriet Elizabeth Blissett Age 19.  Shoe Machinist

                Father - Alexander Blissett 'deceased' Famework Knitter 

                Residence - 52 Catherine Street, Leicester       

                at Leicester Register Office

                Signed - Frederick Alfred Kirk & Harriet Elizabeth Blissett

                Presence of - Albert Edward Kirk 

                 and Charlotte Rebecca Bostock.

Census 1911.   Frederick Alfred Kirk Age 23.  Profession -  Fitter

                Born - Leicester

                Address - 52 Catherine Street, Leicester

                Civil Parish - Leicester

                Living with Wife Elizabeth Kirk(22) .  Born - Harboro, Leics'

                and Daughters Catherine (2) and Alice (2)

                All boarding with the Smart family

                Elizabeth Smart (58)

                Born Wilbarston

                Husband Alexander Smart (51)

                Woollen Glove Maker

                Born Leicester.

                Married :3 yrs  Children :3   Alive :2

Census 1939.  Frederick A Kirk . dob 03 Mar 1889

               Profession - Textile Machinery Filler (Married)

               Address - 12 Bendbow Rise, Leicester.

               Civil Parish - Leicester

               Living With Wife Harriett E Kirk, dob 19 Mar 1889

               Profession - Unpaid Domestic Duties (Married)

               Children -

               Frederick A Kirk. dob 23 Dec 1912

               Profession - Engineers Labourer Heavy Work

               Vera M Kirk (later Wood). dob 07 Aug 1918

               Profession - Lockstitch Mchr (underwear)

               Charles Kirk. dob 29 Mar 1920

               Profession - Garage Hand

               Raymond Kirk. dob 13 Dec 1922

               Profession - Taliors Assistant

               Roland Kirk. dob 29 Jan 1924

               Profession - Errand Boy Hosiery

               Terrence B Kirk. dob 13 Sep 1832

               Profession - At School

               Dorothy A Kirk (later Hurst). dob 03 Dec 1918 

                -(Alexander Kirk's Wife)

               Profession - Unpaid Domestic Duties (Married)

Frederick Alfred Kirk Died 18th November 1970.

               Registration District : Leicester.

               Sub-District : Leicester.

               Where : 107 Hand Avenue, Leicester.

               Occupation : Engineer's Fitter (retired).

               Cause :   Died of -

               (1a) Cerebral Thrombosis (stroke)

               (2b) Senile arteriosclerosis

               Informant : Charles Kirk 41 Dean burn House, 

               Aikman Avenue, Leicester.

               Registered : 19th November 1970.    

Cremated. 23 November 1970  Gilroes Cemetery, Leicester

Residence: 

       1888, 134 Cranbourne Street, Leicester (Birth Certificate)

       1891, 128 Cranbourne Street, Leicester (Census)

       1901, 6 Foundry Square, Leicester (Census)

       1908, 19 Navigation Street, Leicester (Mar Certificate)

       1910, 52 Catherine Street, Leicester (Son Jack's Certificate)

       1911, 52 Catherine Street, Leicester (Census)

       1921, 48 Martin Street, Leicester (Ray's Birth Certificate)

       1939, 12 Bendbow Rise, Leicester (Census)

       1970, 107 Hand Avenue, Leicester (Death Certificate)

Children of FREDERICK ALFRED KIRK and HARRIET ELIZABETH BLISSETT are:

    i.      CATHERINE ELIZABETH KIRK

            b 15 Oct 1908 Leicester 

            c Wendy Josephine Kirk b 02 Jul 1935  - Father unknown

            m Jul-Sep 1939 to Edward Clarke. Leicester

            d Jan-Mar 1980 Leicester. Catherine Elizabeth Clarke Age 70

    ii.     JACK KIRK

            b Oct-Dec 1909

            d Jan-Mar 1910 52 Catherine Street, Leicester.

            bur 17 Jan 1910 Gilroes Cemetery J662

    iii.    ALICE MAUD KIRK

            b  24 Oct 1910 Leicester

            m Apr-Jun 1939  to Alma Les Smith.  Leicester

            c  Jennifer Smith, Patricia Smith

            d  Nov 1996 Alice Maud Smith. Leicester. Age 86

    iv.    FREDERICK ALEXANDER KIRK   

            b  23 Dec 1912 Leicester 

            d  Jan-Mar 1957 Leicester. Age 44

    v.     ALEXANDER KIRK       

            b 10 Oct 1915 Leicester

            m Oct-Dec 1936 Dorothy Annie Clarbour. Leicester

            c Christine, Marjorie, Sue, Nicolas, Alexander

            d 18 Nov 1970 Leicester

    vi.    ALFRED KIRK  (Alf)             

            b 10 Jun 1916 Leicester 

            m 27 Apr 1946 to Margaret Sullivan,

            St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Grangetown, Yorkshire.

            c Joseph, Deborah 

            m2 to Helga Helene Marie Kirk (nee Faller/Schwenker).

            Indian River, USA.

            d 30 Oct 2005 Stuart, Florida, USA

    vii.   VERA MAY KIRK                             

            b  07 Aug 1918 Leicester

            m 1941 to Gordon Wood. Leicester

            c Barry Wood, Gail Wood

            d Oct 1990 Vera May Wood. Leicester. Age 72

    viii.  CHARLES KIRK                      

            b 29 Jan 1920 Leicester

            m Apr-Jun 1947 to Elsie Child Clements. Leicester

            d Leicester

    ix.    RAYMOND KIRK  (Ray)              

            b 13 Dec 1921 Leicester

            m 21 Mar 1942 to Joan Almond. Leicester Register Office

            c Roger, Margaret, John, Armand, Melanie 

            d 12 Mar 2017 Leicester

    x.     ROLAND KIRK                              

            b 29 Jan 1924 Leicester

            m 11 Nov 1944 to May Panter. Leicester Register Office,

            Roland Kirk (20) Private 14216485 Leicestershire Regiment.

            d 15 Oct 1980 Leicester

    xi.    FRANK KIRK                               

            b Oct-Dec 1926 Leicester                   

            d Jan-Mar 1927 48 Martin Street, Leicester.

            bur 22 Jan 1927 Gilroes Cemetery  Ii390

    xii.   NEVILLE KIRK                               

            b 13 Mar 1930 Leicester 

            d 17 Aug 1997 Leicester

    xiii.   TERRANCE BRIAN KIRK (Terry)

              b 13 Sep 1932 Leicester

             m Jul-Sep 1955 to Helga Faller. Leicester,

             (nee ~ Helga Helene Marie Schwenker)

             c  Ken, Norbert

             d  Aug 1996 Leicester. Age 63

Go to associated images - Frederick Alfred Kirk (1888)

Go to Frederick's Wife - Harriet Elizabeth Blissett (1889)

Go to Frederick's Father - Alfred Oswin Kirk (1861)

Go to Frederick & Harriet's Son - Raymond Kirk (1921)

*also - Frederick & Harriet's Son  ALFRED KIRK  (Alf) 

Go back to the Kirk Family Tree Page