William Henry Fothergill (1871 - 1944)

Born 13 Apr 1871 in Islington St Mary, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 10 Jun 1944 at age 73 in Stoke Newington, London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

William Henry Fothergill was born on the 13th April 1871 at 4 Blackstock Road, St Mary Islington, London.^[1] He was the fourth and last child of Frederick Fothergill and Sarah Gimber.

William had a very tough start in life. Just six weeks after he was born, his father died of 'Diseased glands of neck; Phthisis Tubercular' and, a year later, his mother with her four young children had to go into the St Mary Islington Workhouse in St Johns Road, Upper Holloway. (See my attached transcription below of their settlement order based on the original document seen on Ancestry.)^[2]

Space:Removal Order for Sarah Fothergill and children

By the 1881 Census,^[3] things were looking a lot brighter for Sarah and the family. She was now living at 6 Rydon Street, Islington and it looks as if she was being supported by her two brothers, Henry (30) and Sidney Gimber (28), both single but bringing in a wage to help the family's finances. Three of her four children are living with her: Frederick (17), Ada (13) and William (9). Her other son, Theodore, had been in trouble and was now living on a Training Ship in Shaftesbury.

Ten years later in the 1891 Census, the family had moved again to 127 Hertford Road, Hackney.^[4] Money must have been easier by this point because all three of the children (Frederick, Ada and William) were working and Sarah's brothers were still living with the family, along with an unknown boarder, John Hill. Six incomes must have felt like a life of luxury after those dark days in the workhouse. (William was recorded as aged 19 and a bookbinder's apprentice.)

By the next census in 1901,^[5] his oldest brother, Frederick, had married and moved out but William was still living with his sister, Ada, and his mother, Sarah, plus his two uncles, Henry and Sidney. They were now living at 144 Winston Road, Stoke Newington. William has changed his occupation to a commercial clerk.

Four years later, William married (after banns) on the 15th February 1905 at St Michael, Highgate, London.^[6] His bride was Ethel Martha Kelly, a 25-year-old spinster, whose father was a musician, Alexander Kelly. William himself was recorded as a 33-year-old bachelor living at 4 High Street, Highgate. He was a clerk by profession and his father was confirmed as Frederick Fothergill, bookbinder. The witnesses were Edith Annie Kelly and Sarah Fothergill (presumably his mother).^[7]

I was unable to find any children for this couple and their 1911 Census seems to support this as it stated that they had been married for six years but had no children.^[8] They were living at 3 Albion Mansions, Albion Road, Stoke Newington, with a visitor listed as Williams Rule, single, 32, insurance clerk. William Henry had once again changed his occupation to a coal merchant traveller and, like his mother, sliced a couple of years off his age, stating that he was 37 when he was actually 39 or 40!

Two years later in January 1913 when he registered the death of his mother, William gave his address as 71 Queen Elizabeth's Walk, Stoke Newington. He and his wife, Ethel, were still living at that address in the 1939 Register.^[9] His occupation was given as a coal merchants traveller, retired, and his date of birth was falsely recorded as the 13th April 1872. (This 'year out' was a common fault in that particular record set and his birth certificate confirms it was definitely on the 13th April 1871.)

William passed away at the same address on the 10th June 1944, aged 73.^[10] His certified death certificate (registered by his widow, Ethel) states that he was a retired coal merchants' supervisor, and had died of Carcinoma of the Stomach. Rest in peace, William.

Sources

1. ↑ UK birth registration: Islington, Vol 1b, Page 347, June quarter 1871, mother's maiden name Gimber.
2. ↑ Source Citation: London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Poor Law Registers; Reference: SHBG/128/004. Source Information: Ancestry.com. London, England, Selected Poor Law Removal and Settlement Records, 1698-1930 [database on-line].
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q279-VL75 : 8 December 2017), Sarah Fothergill, Islington, London,Middlesex, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 25, Piece/Folio 266/16, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,227.
4. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3BK8-TMM : 1 May 2019), Sarah Fothergill, Hackney, London, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, London county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9ZB-R3J : 20 May 2019), Sarah Fothergill, Stoke Newington, London, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Stoke Newington subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
6. ↑ UK marriage registration: Edmonton, Vol 3a, Page 483, March quarter 1905 (William Henry Fothergill/Ethel Martha Kelly).
7. ↑ London Marriage Parish Register: London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P90/Mic1/013. Source Information at Ancestry: London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 [database on-line].
8. ↑ 1911 UK Census: Class: RG14; Piece: 1015. Source Information at Ancestry: 1911 England Census [database on-line].
9. ↑ 1939 Register: Ref: RG101/0564F/008/31 Letter Code: AWAF at Find My Past.
10. ↑ UK death registration: Stoke Newington, Vol 1b, Page 267, June quarter 1944, given age 73.

• Birth and Death Certificates held by Jessie Gregor.