Enid lived a comfortable life with her parents and siblings (Margorie Cronin b.1887, Reginald Cronin b.1888) at 17 Friars Street Sudbury Suffolk (adjacent to the Sudbury Savings Bank). All was going well; their Father Henry Cronin Pratt was a highly regarded citizen. He was actuary of the Sudbury Savings Bank. He was also manager and traveller for wine merchant, Mrs Adams. He was a prominent freemason of the Sudbury Suffolk Lodge, Secretary of the Gas Company, distributor of Stamps and manager of a printing Business. He was also a leading conservative figure.
Henry had a respectable upbringing himself, his Father (Henry Sparrow) had also been a bank manager and was also the town mayor from 1872. He and his wife did a lot of charitable work in the town.
The young Henry Cronin became a highly regarded citizen after his Father's death in 1876. He was already the actuary for the savings bank by this time and was made the sub-distributor of stamps for Sudbury. He married well, in Woolwich in 1882 to his cousin Sarah Elizabeth Wiltshire. Her Father was the Reverend Thomas Wiltshire (Professor of Geology Kings College London).
However on the morning of 24th October 1893, all was to change for Henry Cronin and his Wife and children (Enid, Marjorie and Reginald).
For sometime Henry had been living beyond his means. He organized concerts at the conservative club and these were funded by himself and his aristocratic friends in London. He attended all civil functions and grand dinners. He gave many champagne suppers and entertained his friends regularly in London.
Although he was on a good wage at the bank, he couldn't afford this lavish way of life. So he began the simplest of frauds at the bank. A depositor would come into the bank to withdraw funds (say £50) and Henry would write in the depositors pass book that they had withdrawn £50, but in the corresponding bank ledger he would write (say £80) and pocket the difference. The trustee in attendance (Robert Sizer) with complete faith in Henry Cronin's integrity never thought to check. This had been continuing for years. There was another trustee in attendance by the name of William Hustler Double who supplemented his income by carrying out clerical work for Henry Cronin, but he too had no reason to doubt Henry Cronin. Henry had managed to keep the books hidden from view for years.
Henry started to become unstuck when an inspector called Mr Jackson who worked for the bank wanted for sometime to come down and check the books and do an audit. Henry kept putting him off by saying he was ill or on leave. Eventually Mr Jackson sent a letter to say that he was coming down on the morning of 24th October 1893 to commence his audit.
Henry knew the game was up so wrote several letters including to his Wife and to William Double his trustee in attendance at the bank.
He wrote-
Dear Double, I write this sad letter to you which will be the last you ever hear of me, to ask you one thing,
do please, if it lies in your power, do anything you can for my Wife and children, whom I shall leave behind. I have for some years been living beyond my income taking money from the savings bank.
Tomorrow I believe the inspector will come down and I dare not face him. I am too wicked to live or die, but if I live I must go to prison, and I intend without any doubt dropping overboard tonight between Harwich and Rotterdam. I have been kind to you, be kind, if in your power to my own people at home. Will you tell my nurse, Susan, of this tomorrow and caution her not to let the children be seen out of doors, and to shut up the house early at night so that no light maybe seen burning. For fear when people know it they are so angry to break the windows. It is useless to say I'm sorry it can do no good. I have brought disgrace and ruin upon a loving Wife and dear children. I have repaid the kindness of friends with deceit and hypocrisy and my end has come. I am too much of a coward to meet the charges against me. I cannot ask forgiveness in this world nor can I hope for it in the next. This will stun you. Don't put this letter in the papers but show it to anyone you like. Yours Sincerely H C Pratt
William Double handed the letter to the inspector, Mr Jackson who immediately telegrammed his superiors in London. His superior a Mr Cameron arrived that evening and a full inspection was carried out. It transpired the Henry Cronin over the years had stolen £17,000 (around £1,000,000) today. Which amounted to over half of the bank's assets. The police were informed but when they checked Henry's cabin in Rotterdam all that was there was his watch and other personal possessions. Therefore suicide was presumed.
The town was shocked and angry and frightened for the loss of their savings and the story made headline news. However, fortunately for the people of Sudbury the town's savings bank was somewhat different. The unsuspecting trustees of the bank, all very honourable and worldly men had no idea they were liable. Of the 7 trustees, 4 were members of the Sudbury Suffolk Lodge and 3 were Vicars. They were liable for paying back the shortfall
There were many conspiracy theories as to the fate of Henry Cronin, some felt he didn't jump off the boat at Rotterdam but absconded to the states, helped by some of the few friends he had left (there were various sightings reported of Henry there). Also a couple were walking through the streets in Ghent, Belgium in 1897 (they formerly lived in Sudbury, Suffolk) and stated they saw the runaway banker, they confronted him but he took off. Could he have been making his way back to England to see his family?
As for the family, on the 7th November 1893 Sarah Pratt and her children decamped quietly from their home which had been put up for sale by the executors. She took her furniture which some felt should have been included in the forced sale of the assets. Sarah took up residence, helped by her Father, at 280 High Street, Berkhampstead Hertfordshire, where she is described a widow of means and with a servant.
Poor Sarah continued to have sadness in her life, her Son Reginald was to die in 1895 aged just seven. It was maybe through all this trauma that she died on 29th July 1905 aged 51. She had taken an anaesthetic of alcohol, chloroform and ether. The coroner's verdict was death by misadventure.
Of the two Daughters, neither married. Marjorie Cronin Pratt moved to Bognor Regis and died on 4th June 1972 aged 86 of bronchopneumonia. Our Enid Cronin Pratt moved to Thorpe Cottage, Rowlands Road Worthing which was a boarding house. She died there on 20th September 1910 aged 27 of heart disease.