Kate Middleton’s Convict Ancestor, Edward Thomas Glassborow

It looks like Claudia Joseph’s new biography of Kate Middleton, Kate: Kate Middleton – Princess in Waiting, points out that her 3rd great grandfather spent some time in 1881 in the Hollaway Prison in London. It isn’t known what he did (or didn’t do) that caused him to get tossed in the clink, but it’s something for the tabloids play with. They love this stuff. Following is a teaser from an article by John Bingham in the March 30, 2009 edition of the Telegraph.

An entry in the 1881 census shows that Edward Thomas Glassborow, an ancestor of Miss Middleton’s father, Michael, was listed as an inmate at Holloway Prison in London.

He is one of 436 occupants listed at the institution, which is now a women’s prison.

There are no known records to explain what crime Glassborow had committed but it is clear from later papers that he went on to turn his life around.
Birth records for his son Frederick, Miss Middleton’s great-great grandfather, a few years later show that he was then listing himself as a “gentleman of independent means”.

Read the full article.