FISK BESSIE AFTERWARDS FRANCKLIN FL1922-1944 PROSTITUTE

Letters to Bessie Fisk, mainly from her husband Charles Henry Fisk, common-lawhusband William Franklin and from Guardians of the Poor, creditors andcustomers. Also clothing club cards and trade union cards.

Bessie Fisk (afterwards Franklin) fl 1922 - 1944

Bessie Fisk married Charles Henry Fisk on 9th November 1914. According to herhusband's statement, she was already a prostitute, as she certainly was from1924 onwards. In December 1924 Charles Fisk left the house in Hammersmithwhere they were then living and took rooms in Chiswick, where he worked as awatchman. Although he sent his wife some money and an occasional present hedid not return home, but wrote numerous letters until August 1925, when heleft Chiswick, and sought employment elsewhere. The only evidence of hiswhereabouts is a clothing club card taken out at Harlesden in June 1926,using his wife's address, until he was found in a poor law institution inBromley. In August 1928 he was in Stepney Institution, and presumably diedsoon after.

Bessie Fisk went to live in Fulham and later in Chelsea, apparently with herfather and sister. Sometime after 1925 she made acquaintance of WilliamFranklin, a building worker, from whom she received numerous visits andweekly letters from February to August 1926. In 1928 she went to live withhim and took the name Franklin. In June 1939 Franklin was taken to hospital,where he appears to have died soon after.

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