Person:William Yarrow (1)

William Yarrow was born in 1842 in the hamlet of Bendish in the parish of St Paul's Walden in Hertfordshire, son of Jane Yarrow, formerly Preston, and her husband William Yarrow, a gardener. He was baptised at St Paul's Walden on 27th March 1842. Bendish is very close to the border with Bedfordshire and William actually gave his place of birth as "Bendish, Bedfordshire" on at least two occasions. In the mid 1840s the family left Bendish and moved to the nearby town of Luton, where some of William's younger siblings were born. The 1851 census finds the family living at Elizabeth Street in Luton, with William's father now working as a victualler.

In September 1859, William enlisted in the Rifle Regiment at Dunstable. He claimed to be eighteen, although was in fact still seventeen at the time. He appears in the 1861 census as a private in barracks at Winchester. Later in 1861 a regimental board found him unfit for further service on account of stammering. Apparently he had stammered when he enlisted, but it had become much worse since, "amounting to almost complete loss of power of speech". He was finally discharged at Chatham in February 1862, when he was described as being 5'6" tall with grey eyes and brown hair. He gave his trade as a bonnet blocker and his intended place of future residence as Luton.

On Christmas Day 1862, aged 20, William married Elizabeth Marshall at Christ Church in Luton. They had their first two children in Luton, before returning to Winchester, where they lived for the rest of their lives. They had at least ten children between 1863 and 1884. In Winchester, William worked as a porter for a wine merchant.

William died in 1903, aged 61. Elizabeth survived him by nearly five years.

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

   b. William YARROW, March Quarter 1842, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 6, page 557, mother's maiden name Preston

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. St Paul's Walden Parish Registers. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of St Pauls Walden in the County of Hertford in the Year 1842
   No. 98
   When Baptized: March 27th
   Child's Christian Name: Will[ia]m
   Parents Name - Christian: Will[ia]m & Jane
   Parents Name - Surname: Yarrow
   Abode: Bendish
   Quality, Trade, or Profession: Gardener
   By whom the Ceremony was performed: Charles Hardy, Vicar

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 1757; Folio 445; Page 17, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Elizabeth Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Yarrow, head, married, male, 38 [1812/13], Victualler, b. Warden, Bedfordshire
   Jane Yarrow, wife, married, female, 39 [1811/12], Bonnet Sewer, b. Northill, Bedfordshire
   William Yarrow, son, unmarried, male, 9 [1841/2], Scholar, b. Paulswarden, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Ann Yarrow, daughter, female, 7 [1843/4], Scholar, b. Paulswarden, Hertfordshire
   George Yarrow, son, male, 3 [1847/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Hannah Yarrow, daughter, female, 11mo [1850], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Edith Smith, lodger, unmarried, female, 19 [1831/2], Bonnet Sewer, b. Blunham, Bedfordshire
   Jane Smith, lodger, unmarried, female, 24 [1826/7], Bonnet Sewer, b. Blunham, Bedfordshire

4.   British Army Service Records, 1760-1915 (Findmypast).

   Summary of information:
   Enlisted 3rd Battalion Regiment of Rifle Brigade
   Born at Bendish, attested for the Rifle Regiment of Brigade at Dunstable on 28 Sep 1859, aged 18.
   Conduct very good. Rank: Private.
   Regimental board proceedings dated 6 Nov 1861, Winchester, having been found unfit for further service. "Disability - Stammering Amounting to almost complete loss of power of speech. It existed on enlistment but has become much worse since enlistment. The disbility has not been aggravated by intemperance or vice."
   Discharged at Chatham, 11 Feb 1862, described as 5'6" tall with grey eyes and brown hair, trade bonnet blocker, intended place of residence Luton, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ 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 691; Folio 148; Page 31, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Barracks, Winchester (St Thomas), Hampshire
   [many soldiers, including:]
   William Yarrow, unmarried, male, 19 [1841/2], Private in Army, b. Bendish, Hertfordshire

6. ↑ 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 1209; Folio 17; Page 26, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 35 Kingsgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire
   William Yarrow, head, married, male, 29 [1841/2], Porter, b. Bendish, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Yarrow, wife, married, female, 29 [1841/2], Straw hat worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Yarrow, son, male, 7 [1863/4], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Jane Yarrow, daughter, female, 5 [1865/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Yarrow, son, male, 3 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Charles Yarrow, son, male, 1 [1869/70], b. Winchester, Hampshire

7. ↑ 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 1231; Folio 8; Page 9, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 35 Kingsgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire
   William Yarrow, head, married, male, 38 [1842/3], Porter, b. Bendish, Hertfordshire
   Elizth. Yarrow, wife, married, female, 38 [1842/3], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Albert W. Yarrow, son, male, 17 [1863/4], Servant Dom, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thos. Yarrow, son, male, 13 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Charles E. Yarrow, son, male, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Annie E. Yarrow, daughter, female, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Alfred Yarrow, son, male, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Ellen Yarrow, daughter, female, 4 [1876/7], Scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Fredk. J. Yarrow, son, male, 2 [1878/9], Scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire

8. ↑ 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 937; Folio 136; Page 13, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 54 Canon Street, Winchester, Hampshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   William Yarrow, head, married, male, 49 [1841/2], Porter, employed, b. Bendish, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Yarrow, wife, married, female, 48 [1842/3], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Edward Yarrow, son, single, male, 21 [1869/70], Porter, employed, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Alfred Yarrow, son, male, 15 [1875/6], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Ellen Yarrow, daughter, female, 13 [1877/8], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   John Yarrow, son, male, 10 [1880/1], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Henry Yarrow, son, male, 8 [1882/3], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Arthur Yarrow, son, male, 6 [1884/5], b. Winchester, Hampshire

9. ↑ 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 1083; Folio 34; Page 15, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 28 Canon Street, Winchester, Hampshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   William Yarrow, head, married, male, 59 [1841/2], Wine Merchants Porter, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Yarrow, wife, married, female, 58 [1842/3], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Annie Yarrow, daughter, single, female, 28 [1872/3], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   John Yarrow, son, single, male, 20 [1880/1], Gardener (domestic), worker, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Henry Yarrow, son, single, male, 18 [1882/3], Groom (domestic), worker, b. Winchester, Hampshire

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

    d. William YARROW, September Quarter 1903, Winchester Registration District, Volume 2c, page 67, aged 61 [1841/2]