Person:William Edwards (223)

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Childhood

William Edwards was born on 4th July 1848 at Sidlesham in Sussex, son of a charwoman named Sarah Ann Edwards, formerly Hammond, and her husband John Edwards, an agricultural labourer. William was the youngest of their nine children; indeed, he became an uncle when he was less than a year old when his eldest sister had a baby. When William was born his maternal grandparents were still alive and living nearby at Lagness.

The 1851 census finds William living with his parents, siblings and niece at Chalder, a small farming hamlet in Sidlesham parish. William's maternal grandmother died in 1858 and his maternal grandfather died in 1860.

William and Fanny.

Adulthood

On 20th January 1872, aged 23, William married a dressmaker named Fanny Grant. She was also from Sidlesham and nearly seven years older than him, being 30 when they married. Two months after their marriage, William's father John died.

William and Fanny had a son named Albert later in 1872, then Fred in 1873, then twins named Edith Eliza and William in 1875, all born at Sidlesham. At the time of William and Fanny's marriage he had still been working simply as an agricultural labourer, but from the baptism of the twins onwards he worked as a traction engine driver.

William and Fanny (seated), with some of their children and granddaughter, probably at their daughter Theresa's marriage in 1908.

William's eldest son Albert married in 1895, and William became a grandfather in March 1896, aged 47. Later in 1896 William's son John joined the Navy, but he was invalided out just under a year later with phthsis (tuberculosis) and died in 1897, aged 20, being buried at Pagham.

In his shed.

William's youngest son, Alfred, also went into domestic service, moving to London and working as a footman then becoming a valet, ending up at Brodsworth Hall in Yorkshire. Postcards from Alfred to his parents written in 1908 give their address as "Tumble Bay" or "Tumble Bay Cottage" in Runcton. Alfred married the cook at Brodsworth and they had two sons, but then Alfred died of tuberculosis aged 34 in 1919.

William's daughter Annie died aged 44 in 1923 in London, leaving her husband James Briggs with four surviving children to look after, but then James died less than a year later. It seems that at least one of Annie's daughters came to Sussex to live with William's daughter Theresa and her husband George Miller, who do not appear to have had any children of their own.

Fanny died at Runcton on 4th March 1925, aged 83. She and William had been married for 53 years. After her death William left Runcton and went to live with his two unmarried daughters Louise and Lily at 46 Queen Street in the town of Littlehampton, a few miles to the east. He outlived Fanny by eight years and died on 22nd October 1933, aged 85. He had outlived four of his ten children, had seventeen grandchildren (although one had died young) and was also a great grandfather by the time of his death.

1. ↑ Birth certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT Westhampnett Union
   1842 BIRTH in the Sub-district of Manhood in the County of Sussex
   No.	When and where born	Name, if any	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden name of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   273	Fourth of July 1848	William	Boy	John Edwards	Sarah Edwards formerly Hammond	Labourer	The Mark X of Sarah Edwards Mother Sidlesham	Twelfth of July 1848	James Randall, Registrar

   This birth has been linked to the William Edwards who married Fanny Grant on the basis that their marriage certificate gives William's father's name as John Edwards, labourer, whilst in the censuses after their marriage William consistently gave his birthplace as Sidlesham with an age suggesting he was born around 1848.

   
2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Sidlesham (Sussex). Parish registers of Sidlesham, 1566-1901. (Chichester: West Sussex County Council).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Sidlesham in the County of Sussex in the Year 1848
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   1180	August 13th	William	John & Sarah	Edwards	Sidlesham	Labourer	William Bruton, Curate

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1652; Folio 82; Page 7, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Chalder House, Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, head, married, male, 56 [1894/5], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah Edwards, wife, married, female, 43 [1807/8], b. Pagham, Sussex
   George Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 16 [1834/5], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 13 [1837/8], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   James Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 11 [1839/40], Farm Laborer, b. Northmundham, Sussex
   Alfred Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 8 [1842/3], At Home, b. Northmundham, Sussex
   Sarah Edwards, daughter, unmarried, female, 6 [1844/5], At Home, b. Northmundham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, married, 3 [1847/8], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Elizabeth Edwards, granddaughter, female, 2 [1848/9], b. Wt Hampnett, Sussex

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 617; Folio 73; Page 20, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Chalder, Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, head, married, male, 67 [1793/4], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah A. Edwards, wife, married, female, 52 [1808/9], Wife of Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   George Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 26 [1834/5], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, male, 24 [1836/7], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Alfred Edwards, son, male, 16 [1844/5], Farm Laborer, b. Mundham, Sussex
   Sarah Edwards, daughter, female, 15 [1845/6], Farm Laborer, b. Mundham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, male, 12 [1848/9], Farm Laborer, b. Sidlesham, Sussex

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1111; Folio 64; Page 3, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Chalder, Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, head, married, male, 72 [1798/9], Agricultural Labourer ["Supported by Parish" crossed out], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah A. Edwards, wife, married, female, 62 [1808/9], Charwoman, b. Pagham, Sussex
   George Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 36 [1834/5], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Pagham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 34 [1836/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah A. Edwards, daughter, unmarried, female, 25 [1845/6], b. Mundham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1848/9], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Mary A. Edwards, granddaughter, female, 1 [1869/70], b. Sidlesham, Sussex

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1123; Folio 98; Page 10, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Pagham hamlet, Pagham, Sussex
   William Edwards, head, married, male, 34 [1846/7], Engine Driver (Ag[ricultura]l), b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Edwards, wife, married, female, 40 [1840/1], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Albert Edwards, son, male, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fred Edwards, son, male, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, male, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Eliza Edwards, daughter, female, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, male, 3 [1877/8], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Ann Edwards, daughter, female, 2 [1878/9], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Theresa Edwards, daughter, female, 11 mo [1880], b. Pagham, Sussex

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 841; Folio 96; Page 8, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Pagham Hamlet, Pagham, Sussex
   4 rooms occupied
   William Edwards, head, married, male, 42 [1848/9], Traction Engine Driver, employed, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Edwards, wife, married, female, 48 [1842/3], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, single, male, 15 [1875/6], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, male, 13 [1877/8], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Thersa Edwards, daughter, female, 10 [1880/1], Scholar, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Lily Edwards, daughter, female, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Louise Edwards, daughter, female, 8 [1882/3], Scholar, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Alfred Edwards, son, male, 6 [1884/5], Scholar, b. Pagham, Sussex

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 967; Folio 42; Page 5, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: South View (2), Runcton hamlet, Northmundham, Sussex
   5 or more rooms occupied
   William Edwards, head, married, male, 52 [1848/9], Agr[icultura]l Engine driver, worker, b. Chichester, Sussex
   Fanny Edwards, wife, married, female, 57 [1843/4], b. Chichester, Sussex

9. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 5386; Schedule 41, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Runcton, North Mundham, Sussex
   6 rooms occupied
   William Edwards, head, male, 63 [1847/8], married, Traction Engine Driver, worker, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Edwards, wife, female, 69 [1841/2], married 40 years, 10 children born, 8 still living, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Louise Edwards, daughter, female, 26 [1884/5], Single, Dressmaker, own account, working at Home, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Ivy Briggs, visitor, female, 6 [1904/5], b. London

   William's signature from the 1911 census.
10. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

    Registration District East Preston
    1933 DEATH in the Sub-district of Littlehampton in the County of West Sussex
    No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
    30	Twenty second October 1933 46 Queen Street, Littlehampton U.D.	William Edwards	Male	85 years	late a Traction Engine Driver	1a. Senile degeneration of Heart Muscle No P.M. Certified by H. Sydney Smith M.B.	L. Edwards Daughter Present at the death 46 Queen Street, Littlehampton	Twenty third October 1933	H.G. Harding, Registrar

    The informant L. Edwards could be either of William's daughters Lily and Louise, both of whom lived at 46 Queen Street with him.