The Twin Foxes

Famous Stevenage Characters

By GC

The Fox Twins
Stevenage Museum

These famous Stevenage characters were born in 1857 in Symonds Green.  Twin sons, so alike, that their parents would tie different coloured ribbons on them to tell them apart, were called Ebenezer Albert and Albert Ebenezer (after the Ebenezer Chapel on Albert Street in Stevenage).

200 convictions

The twins were well known poachers whose convictions between them ran over the 200 mark.  The police were often at a loss to know which twin they had caught, a problem that the brothers exploited as much as they could.  The police eventually learned to look for distinguishing scars which the brothers had, and kept a record of their fingerprints (a new development in policing).

The twins did also do legal jobs, labouring on the building of the Police Station on Stanmore Road – building the cells which they later occupied after being caught poaching!

Pheasants beware

Ebenezer and Albert were popular with local farmers for their skills in getting rid of foxes and finding useful farm dogs, but not so popular with the keepers.

They were skilled in woodcraft, spending part of their lives living in a bivouac and poaching to get their meat and fish.

A Stevenage pub on Rockingham Way was named “The Twin Foxes” after them. See the photo of its opening in 1953 in the section on public houses.

This page was added on 20/05/2011.

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  • I too am related to the twins. My 1st cousin x 1 married into the family.

    By Ally Walker (18/07/2020)
  • I am related to the twin foxes through my grandad. His mother was Mary Fox and married a man with the surname Winters. They were my grandads cousins.

    By Shirley Solis (16/05/2019)
  • Mark Weston was asking if the twins are buried at St Nicholas Church.
    Yes they are, but they do not have any grave, or grave stone.
    some time in 2018 the 2 graves have been marked With wooden pegs With the twins name on.
    If you go almost to the top of the old graveyard, there is a walkway off to the left, after about 30 yards on the Right, 4 rows in are both pegs. Alberts grave is almost directly behind the grave to Elizabeth & Joseph Percy, who have a well mark head stone. I do have photos

    By andrew briars (22/03/2019)
  • I think I am very distantly related to the twin foxes. My nan is Ethel Fox. I am tracing my family tree and stuck. I would like to know if Henry C Fox (twins father) is related to Alfred Fox (my nan’s grandad) and if their father is John Fox and who he was married to and where. Help!!

    Thank you

    By Sue Starkey (15/03/2019)
  • Are the fox twins be red in St nicks church grave yard if so where

    By Marc Weston (18/10/2018)
  • I am sure that Pauline is right however the story goes that on their 16th birthday they were both offered the choice of having a Bible or a gun as a present. Both of them chose the latter
    Terry

    By Terry Horner (04/09/2018)
  • I am related to these two who were 2nd cousins to my mother. They were first amongst other ‘criminals’ to be imprisoned in Pentonville prison in London. One story says that one of them were convicted of poaching, sentence to be given the following day. However, before appearing before the judge, he caught 2 pheasants on land held by the judge which were sold in the market before appearing, and the proceeds used to pay the fine!

    By Terry Horner, son of Ethel Fox (30/07/2018)
  • albert and ebenezer are my fourth cousins, my nan remembers her dad telling her about the twins and their poaching

    By lisa frost (04/04/2012)
  • They must have been a disappointment to their father Henry, who used to preach at the Ebenezer Chapel!

    By Pauline Maryan (03/06/2011)