Frederick George & Mary Ann SHILCOCK

(née HARDWICK)

Frederick George SHILCOCK was born in 1855 in Bourne to Robert and Charlotte SHILCOCK. After attending Bourne Grammar School, he became articled to an architect and returned to the town to start his own business which he carried on for 26 years and when the Bourne U.D.C was formed in 1899, he was appointed their surveyor and Inspector of Nuisances. In 1882, he married Mary HARDWICK (b 1857, Bourne) but there were no children. He was a staunch Conservative although he took no active role in local politics, but he was a churchman and tireless worker for the Abbey Church, frequently giving his services in conducting auction sales at bazaars and garden fêtes both for the Abbey Church and other denominations in the town. He was also a freemason, holding all of the prominent positions in the Hereward Lodge, and was keenly interested in sport, being a committee member of the annual athletics held in Bourne and regular player for Bourne Cricket Club where he also held office as captain and secretary. In 1881 Frederick was here, in lodgings, at North Street, Bourn, Lincoln. In 1891 he was married to Mary Ann and living at West Street,Bourne. Ten years later, in 1901, he was still living in West St, Bourne. He died in 1906 in tragic circumstances.

DIRECTORIES 1896 Kelly's Directory Private residents: Frederick George Shilcock, Glenhurst, West street,Bourne Commercial: Frederick George Shilcock, auctioneer, valuer, architect and surveyor, West Street, Bourne. Frederick is also a Certified Bailiff under the "Law of Distress Amendment Act 1888" At the time of his unexpected death in 1906 at the age of 51, he was also sanitary inspector and surveyor to Bourne Urban District Council.

His death shocked Bourne because he hanged himself at his office premises in West Street. At that time, he was living with his wife at one of the West Road Villas but on the evening of Saturday 18th August 1906, he did not return home at the usual time and his wife became anxious and on going out into the street to look for him, asked a gas company workman who was extinguishing the street lights to call at the Nag’s Head Hotel and inform the landlord, James Shilcock(sic), her husband’s brother, that Frederick was missing. A search was made of the town but without success and then his clerk, Mr Robert Agnew, was called to search the firm’s offices. It was now three o’clock in the morning but the door of the office was locked from the inside and so they got in by smashing a window at the back of the premises. Frederick’s hat was lying on a box inside and in a short passage leading from the office, he was found hanging by the neck from a rope suspended from a ladder in the loft, his knees almost touching the ground. The body was cold and he was quite dead. A policeman, Constable Bradshaw, arrived and cut it down and the family doctor, Dr John Gilpin, arrived a few minutes later but his services were of no avail and he decided that death had occurred several hours earlier. There was no indication why Shilcock should take his own life and an inquest at the Town Hall the following Monday evening failed to establish a motive. James Shilcock told the hearing that his brother had been in failing health for the past six months and had not been looking well recently but he did not know if this was due to illness or worry. Frederick had always been delicate and had at times suffered from faintness. He was, in fact, nervous about his health and was of a very excitable nature. He did not know if he had financial problems but if he had, it was doubtful if it would have been mentioned to him. The clerk Agnew said in evidence that he last saw his employer at about 11.15 am on Saturday when he appeared to be very restless. He left the office saying he would be back in a few minutes but he had not returned when he locked up at 1.15 pm. Both had keys to the office. When the body was cut down, police found that the dead man had £5 5s in cash in his pockets, a gold watch and chain and a number of business letters but none contained any indication about his state of mind. Dr Gilpin, who had been Shilcock’s doctor for the past 16 years, said that he had suffered no illness with any lasting effects and he had no heart problems. His judgement was sound but he was often excitable. He added: “From the determined nature in which he had committed suicide, there must have been impulsive insanity.” The jury returned a verdict that Shilcock hanged himself while temporarily insane. The funeral took place the following Tuesday afternoon and when the cortege left West Road Villas, the blinds were drawn in the houses along the route to the Abbey Church and shops and businesses were closed as a mark of respect. After the church service, conducted by the vicar, the Rev Hugh Mansfield, he was buried in the town cemetery in an oak coffin with brass fittings and covered with a mass of floral tributes with more following behind in a separate vehicle. Crowds of sympathisers joined friends and family in the church and at the graveside, including a large contingent of fellow masons from the Hereward Lodge. Soon after the funeral, Shilcock’s widow sold her husband’s auctioneering business to Mr Arthur Saul.

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