Mysterious Occupation for an Interesting Chap

[SouthseaSteel]

Just for the sake of completeness, here's more information about his dodgy character. It's from a London, England newspaper of 26 October 1913.

Indeed!!! This happened 3 months after his marriage to my brother in laws great aunt Lily!!!!

[PatLac]

I have found this wonderful site with the detais of his father's family! (sorry for the old link, but it works)

http://www.mkheritage.site/hanslope/visitorPages/willDetail.php?firstName=Etty&familyName=Warren&sex=F&yoB=0&yoI=1846&source=23&sourceID=3104&masterID=231935&FullMinor=&CallFirstName=&CallFamilyName=&Tolerance=5&EndAction=C&Detail=I

[SouthseaSteel]

Thanks for posting it, Andy! His grandfather looks much more interesting...

I can't find his birth/baptism records. The following link says 1805.

He went by the name of Ebenezer Crick in his marriage record to Sarah Sanders in 1834 in Potterspury, Northamptonshire.

He was a journalist/bookseller in Newport Pagnell and then the proprietor of the "Leamington Press" in Leamington Priors before going bankrupt in 1835.

By 1839 he translated a French book under the name C. Ebenezer Clifton, and authored many other books.

https://data.bnf.fr/fr/ark:/12148/cb12597471g

Maybe Clifton was his birth place? Or mother's surname?

His first son was christened on 9 Sep 1841 at Moulton, Northampton, Wiliam Clifton Crick, although there are two records and the other was transcribed William Allen Crick. I suppose William was born in Paris but they visited England around the time of his christening, or maybe they went to Paris after that. Their daughter Mary Clifton Crick was also christened in England, Potterspury 1849. I couldn't find the christening records of their second son, Charles (Ernest's father), but his marriage to Anne Warren was advertised in the newspapers and he is referred as the second son of Mr. Clifton-Crick.

In the novel "A Window in Paris", he is named Mr. Charles Clifton and in one paragraph he gave his name as Charles Cleveland Clifton and said he had been a resident in Paris for more than 30 years - this was 1870 (page 208), but this was a fictional work based on real people, so it's likely that the author has changed the names. She wrote under the nom de plume Marianne Farningham, her real name was Mary Anne Hearne.

I must admit I have had my hands full with his grandchild who was only of immediate to the tree in hand through marriage but it looks most interesting to extend it back too!!

[PatLac]

I still don't know the origin of the middle name Clifton. 

[SouthseaSteel]

I still don't know the origin of the middle name Clifton. 

Yes, he was born and married as Charles Ebenezer Crick in Northants, but named all his 3 Paris born children Clifton Crick and died himself a Clifton Crick.  His mother's maiden name was Hinds and his grandmothers were called Nicholls and Lane so not straightforward - not surprisingly!!

[PatLac]

Regarding his occupation as Head of the Intelligence Department... he left his job in 1930 in Belgium and returned to Paris. He was fluent in French, English and German, he had connections in France, Belgium, Switzerland and England and he worked for a major American company. Maybe he was recruited by the government during WW2?

And Ford had a controversial role in WW2

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-dec-07-fi-12269-story.html

[PatLac]

He was definitely in Sydney around the time of his second marriage.

"Sydney Enlargement Co., 14 Castlereagh-st., photographers - Business commenced 17.10.10 - Propr.: Ernest Clifton Crick. Registered 17.10.10. No. 21930."

https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-788335674/view?sectionId=nla.obj-796600675&searchTerm=%22ernest+clifton+crick%22&partId=nla.obj-788349254#page/n17/mode/1up/search/%22ernest+clifton+crick%22


And he also gave the alias of "George Crick, a Melbourne press reporter", when he was arrested in Victoria.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149116998?searchTerm=%22george%20hamilton%22#

[SouthseaSteel]

He was definitely in Sydney around the time of his second marriage.

"Sydney Enlargement Co., 14 Castlereagh-st., photographers - Business commenced 17.10.10 - Propr.: Ernest Clifton Crick. Registered 17.10.10. No. 21930."

https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-788335674/view?sectionId=nla.obj-796600675&searchTerm=%22ernest+clifton+crick%22&partId=nla.obj-788349254#page/n17/mode/1up/search/%22ernest+clifton+crick%22


And he also gave the alias of "George Crick, a Melbourne press reporter", when he was arrested in Victoria.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149116998?searchTerm=%22george%20hamilton%22#

Thanks again, much appreciated.  I have him down for at least 3 gaol spells in Melbourne, Victoria!!

[SouthseaSteel]

I have just found him living at 63 Campbell Road, Poplar, London E3 during 1928 - 1930 along with a Margaret Crick, which I reckon could be his 5th "wife"