Thomas Thomas & the Gloucester Hotel

 

Western Mail

This November will mark the 100^th anniversary of the death of Thomas Thomas, who was buried at Danygraig Cemetery.  The Western Mail, reported on his funeral. 

According to the 1921 Census, Thomas, aged 59, was the Licenced Victualler, of the Gloster Hotel, 6 Gloucester Place.

1921 Census

Fanny Maria, aged 69, wife and son, Ivor Tansley Thomas, aged 26, who was employed by the Swansea Harbour Trust as an Electrical Engineer, also resided at the Gloucester Hotel.

Also present were 11-year-old Winifred May Davies, who attended school, and 22-year-old Annie Evans, who was the domestic servant.

That would be the end of the story, however!

Gloster Hotel 

The Gloucester Hotel or otherwise known as the Gloster Hotel was the site of murder which was committed in February 1889.

Frederick George Kent

Fanny Maria had been previously married to Frederick George Kent.  During the early morning of the murder, she woke up to find an intruder in the bedroom and fired a gun at him.  At the time he dropped the razor and his cap.  She discovered that her husband had been cut.  Frederick died three hours later.

A search was carried out, and the police were able to follow footprints made in the snow towards to docks, where they found a man covered in blood.  He also had a bullet wound in his thigh.

The cap, helped to establish the identity of the man, who was said to have been “Zulu”, who ‘had hanging around the town’, he had been a sailor on the Cubana.  “Zulu”, had been a short, slim, black man named Thomas Allen, after he was taken to the police station, he abused by angry people, Frederick Kent had been respected by people.   

Herald of Wales

Numerous newspapers reported on the murder.  Allen stated he didn’t intend to cause any harm to anyone, and there at the time wasn’t any information regarding Allen, he had previously sent to prison in June 1888.

Allen’s English was fluent; it was stated that he had been educated in a mission school in South Africa.  He had invited to the private part of the pub by a few of the servant girls, who were employed there. The servants were questioned, and they denied giving the invitation to Allen.

Allen stated when he lit a candle, he was attacked by Frederick Kent, and in his defence, he grabbed Kent’s razor.  Mrs Kent stated that her husband had a beard, and they hardly used a razor.  The jury agreed that Allen had committed the murder.

It was thought that Allen, had already been hiding in the room, and was planning a burglary.  Allen then withdrew his statement in regard to the servant, and stated it was a case of mistaken identity.  Whilst Allen was in his prison cell, he wrote a four-page letter to Fanny.

Thomas Allen
South Wales Echo

Allen’s case was heard in Cardiff on the 18^th of March.  The court heard that Allen would not deny the killing Kent but had gone to the bedroom following an invitation from a young woman, and he had no intentions to committing murder.  They ‘young woman’, was Annie Taylor, who was brought to Cardiff.  She told the court, that she hadn’t seen Allen for ‘several days’.  Allen was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Rev. Oscar Snelling initiated a petition seeking a reprieve, which was signed by 4,000 people, including the Swansea Mayor. The petition highlighted a letter published in the newspaper, which suggested that Kent had attacked Allen, who was sleeping after drinking. It was noted that Allen had lit a candle, alerting Kent to his presence, leading to an attack without any exchange of words. Allen defended himself, suggesting that the charge should have been manslaughter instead of premeditated murder.

The Home Secretary found no justification for intervention, and on the morning of 10^th  April 1889, Thomas Allen was executed at Swansea jail. He had written once more to Mrs Kent, seeking her forgiveness, and she responded by granting it.

Frederick George Kent was buried at St. Marys church.  Fanny died in 1933.