MURDER

Background to the story

Early in 2013 I received a message from an unknown person who found me via the Ancestry website. The lady said she had found some interesting articles about a Clara Jane Hannaford and as this person was on my family tree had I seen the articles. This led to research in Plymouth and ended with a shocking story of love, jealousy and murder.

 

The family background starts with Robert Lake and his wife Sarah Ann Elworthy who married on 12 May 1845. They had nine children the eldest being my Great Grandfather John Jabez Lake born 1845 and the youngest being Fanny Lake born 1866.

 

Fanny Lake married George Henry Hannaford on 26 May 1890 at St Jude Plymouth Devon. They had five of their own children Clara jane Hannaford 1893, Ellen Tryphena Hannaford 1896, John Pasmore Hannaford 1901, Sarah A Hannaford 1902 & Kathleen Fanny Hannaford 1904. They also had an adopted daughter Elsie Gill born 1891 adopted before 1908.

 

They were a hard working family living in Henry Street Plymouth. By 1908 their daughter Clara Jane was a 15 year old teenager. She had been engaged to Edmund Walter Elliott an apprentice hairdresser but her parents were not taken with the boy and were trying to end the association. On 17th November 1908 Clara was taken to the theatre by Able Seaman Lilley and later went to the Atheneum Hotel where her parents were having a drink. Clara told her parents she was going home and left on her own....... (press Clara's Murder above to continue)

 

Picture left: Clara jane Hannaford taken from the

Western Morning News 1908