Person:William Greenwood (51)

William Ernest Greenwood was born on 29th August 1893 in the parish of Hatfield Broad Oak in Essex, son of Caroline Greenwood, formerly Lukies, and her husband William Greenwood, a farmer. The family had only moved to Essex a couple of years before William's birth - his parents and older siblings had been born in Cornwall. The 1901 census finds the family living at Broomshawbury, a farm in the parish of Hatfield Broad Oak. By 1911 William was living at Ashlyns Farm in the parish of High Ongar with his mother's sister and his grandmother, and he was described as assisting on the farm.

In November 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, William enlisted to serve in the army. He joined in Brighton, and gave his next of kin as his father, who was then living at Home Farm, Stanmer Park, near Lewes, indicating that the family had moved from Essex to Sussex. William was described as being five feet eight inches tall with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He served in the Royal Sussex regiment for nearly two years, and was promoted from Private to Lance Corporal early in 1916, when serving abroad with the British Expeditionary Force. He was injured later in 1916 and returned home, being discharged from service in September 1916 and given a pension of five shillings a week for the first year after his discharge.

In 1921, William married May Ethel Timothy. They married in the Newhaven district of Sussex. They went on to have five children between 1922 and 1930, although their first child died as baby.

William became the landlord of the Chequers Hotel at Maresfield in Sussex. William and May were living there at the outbreak of the Second World War.

William died suddenly at home at the Chequers in Maresfield on 19th April 1947, aged 53. May only survived him by a few weeks.

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

   b. William Ernest GREENWOOD, September Quarter 1893, Dunmow Registration District, Volume 4a, page 679, mother's maiden name Lukies

2. ↑ General Register Office. The National Archives (abbreviated TNA). England and Wales. 1901 Census Schedules: also for the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom)
   Class RG13; Piece 1731; Folio 39; Page 5, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Broomshawbury, Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex
   William Greenwood, head, married, male, 44 [1856/7], Farmer, employer, b. St Teath, Cornwall
   Caroline C. Greenwood, wife, married, female, 42 [1858/9], b. St Breague [sic], Cornwall
   Mabel B. Greenwood, daughter, single, female, 19 [1881/2], b. St Minver, Cornwall
   Thomas F. Greenwood, son, single, male, 16 [1884/5], Farmer Son, worker, b. St Minver, Cornwall
   Isaac Greenwood, son, male, 13 [1887/8], Farmer Son, worker, b. St Minver, Cornwall
   Ernest W. Greenwood, son, male, 7 [1893/4], Farmer Son, worker, b. Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex
   Lewis P. Greenwood, son, male, 3 [1897/8], Farmer Son, b. Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex
   Ellen Thurley, single, female, 19 [1881/2], Dom[estic] Serv[an]t, worker, b. Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire

3. ↑ General Register Office. The National Archives (abbreviated TNA). 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom)
   Class RG14; Piece 9810; Schedule 93, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Ashlyns Farm, High Ongar, Essex
   12 rooms occupied
   Mary Jane Pinch, head, female, 56 [1854/5], widow, 1 child born, 1 child still alive, Farming, employer, b. Breage, Cornwall
   Lewis John Pinch, son, male, 21 [1889/90], single, Farmer, employer, b. Little Hallingbury, Hertfordshire
   William Ernest Greenwood, nephew, male, 17 [1893/4], single, Assisting on farm, worker, b. Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex
   Gladys Annie Peter, assistant, female, 17 [1893/4], single, Assistant Housekeeping, worker, b. Ross, Herefordshire
   Mary Ann Lukies, mother, female, 82 [1828/9], widow, 8 children born alive, 7 children still living, b. Breage, Cornwall
   Jane Crabb, servant, female, 17 [1893/4], single, Servant (Domestic), worker, b. Little Laver, Essex
   Mary Ann Mason, assistant, female, 55 [1855/6], single, Nurse (Domestic), worker, b. South Norwood, Surrey

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Uckfield Rural District, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: The Chequers Hotel, Maresfield, Sussex
   Harris, Sarah E. / female / 13 May 1863 / widow / Unpaid Domestic Duties
   Leveys, Herbert W. / male / 11 Mar 1866 / widower / Independent means
   Burr, Edwin / male / 25 Nov 1866 / married / Stock Jobber
   Burr, Pauline / female / 10 Mar 1866 / married / Unpaid Domestic Duties
   Lehmann, Mary A. / female / 23 Apr 1862 / single / Private Means
   Greenwood, William E. / male / 29 Aug 1895 / married / Landlord of Hotel
   Greenwood, Ethel M. / female / 13 Apr 1896 / married / Landlady of Hotel
   [four records closed]

5. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. William Ernest GREENWOOD, June Quarter 1947, Uckfield Registration District, Volume 5h, page 395, aged 52 [1894/5]

6. ↑ Sussex Agricultural Express, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 8, 25 Apr 1947.

   Deaths
   GREENWOOD. - On Saturday, April 19th, 1947, at the "Chequers" Hotel, Maresfield, the death occurred very suddenly of William Ernest Greenwood, aged 52, for many years licensee of the "Chequers" Hotel, and dearly loved husband of May (née Timothy) for over 25 years and father of William, David, Pauline and Jill.

7. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

   1947
   GREENWOOD William Ernest of 7 The Chequers Mavesfield [sic] Sussex died 19 April 1947 Probate Lewes 29 October to Lewis Pearse Greenwood and Joseph Holman farmers.
   Effects £1690 1s. 8d.

8.   British Army WWI Pension Records (The National Archives, London)
   WO364; Piece 1432.

   Summary of information
   Name: William Ernest Greenwood
   Born: Parish of Hatfield, County of Essex, near town of Bishops Stortford
   Age: 21 years 66 days [implying born 29 Aug 1893]
   Trade: Farmer
   Attestation: 3 Nov 1914 at Brighton
   Served in Royal Sussex 1914-1916
   Served:
   Home 3 Nov 1914 to 30 May 1915
   B.E.F 31 May 1915 to 12 May 1916
   Home 13 May 1916 to 17 Sep 1916
   Private until 10 Jan 1916 then Lance Coroporal
   Left after wounded in 1916 - given weekly pension of 5 shillings for 12 months from Sep 1916.
   Next of kin: Father - William, Home Farm, Stanmer Park, near Lewes
   Height: 5 feet 8 inches
   Complexion: Fresh
   Eyes: Brown
   Hair: Brown
   Awarded 1914-1915 Star Medal and Victory Medal