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Shocking indeed, thank you for all the info. I am hoping to have access to photographs when the police museum is eventually open to the public, I suppose a mugshot would be better than none at all.My Grandfather William is buried at Brandwood End, I would stay with my Grandmother every week end as a small child and would frequently go with her to the cemetery to tend his grave. It had no memorial stone she could not afford one. Will keep an eye on Ancestry. Looks like I will have to re do the tree.
So, Who were you John Allard ?

I can confirm that it is the same family especially as John went to live with William Doris and Lillian. Lillian was born in 1923 so I assume this was after he was sentenced for his part in the Birmingham Boys fracas after the Epsom Races . Another relative linked John with Joseph and Lydia Allard but they were unable to confirm John's birth. Interestingly Lydia Allard nee Wragg was born in Handley Derbyshire.
Henry John Allard ,John's son lived with a woman called Lena (they were never married)they had a daughter of the same name. According to my late Mother they would leave Lena with John and Mary Ann and then travel around selling things, she also thought the older Lena may have been a Romany. Lena passed away and eventually Henry (Harry) married Phyllis Snape. The family lost touch with the Allard  side of the family after my Grandfathers death in 1936.

Good Afternoon, it is a bit of a mystery, Henry Allard born 1842 is shown as a painter/grainer and seems to match both Harry and John. Did 'John' Allard lie about his age to join the army and did he also lie to marry as I understand you had to be over 21 to marry without permission from a parent or had he in fact used someone else's identity. Harry Allard, Mary Ann Oram/Allard and Harriet Oram/Allard seem to have disappeared altogether. I did find a death for a Harriet Oram whose age could have been the one on Harry's birth cert. She died in All Saints asylum Birmingham 1907, this would explain why Johns parents were not around and would support the story that he was looked after by maiden Aunts or was he using someone else's story
I would be grateful if you could advise me as to how I go about accessing the newspaper and court records.
n.b John's son Henry was always known as Harry.

Hi, yes I have read some details of what happened it came to light when the Peaky Blinders series was televised. I knew the Allards were Bookies/Runners from family info but not the scale of involvement.