Alas, despite my best efforts in researching William, his early life and origins remain a mystery. Later records imply he was born around 1882 and that his father was called John. Family legend says he came down to Devon laying railway lines, possibly from Birmingham; whilst, a newspaper article from the 1920s, says he was a native of Oxford. I hope the release of the 1921 census in three years time may reveal answers.
What we know of William's life is from 1923 onwards...
From around February to July 1923, William was hired as a workman for the North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway, to help construct the line from Halwill to Torrington in North West Devon. It is reported by the Colonel Stephens Society that "unemployed men had been shipped in for construction but lacked either skills or willingness, and in June 1923 rowdiness turned to a fairly nasty fracas".
What was this fracas? On Saturday 23rd June 1923, many of the company's workers spent the evening in Hatherleigh, dancing to the music of the Town Band in the square. Unfortunately, several were unhappy when police encouraged them to return to their camp at the end of the evening. Things quickly grew violent and two policemen were attacked. We know William was not one of the main culprits, but likely knew the men involved.
After what is reported as a 'short holiday', William returned to that area of North Devon on Monday 30th July 1923, arriving by train at Okehampton Station. Could the working class man afford to go on a short holiday or did he purposely leave the area after the fracas?
What we do know is that day at Okehampton Station, William's life changed forever...
From the station, William got a lift in a lorry belonging to Mr J. H. Treneman of Hatherleigh. The lorry, driven by Frederick Northcott, carried six further railway workmen, and heavy iron and steel girders for use in the construction of the railway bridge over the River Torridge.
At the top of the hill, chains on the lorry broke, causing it to become a runaway. The driver shouted to the other men to jump, whilst he tried to control the vehicle. All the men, apart from William, managed to escape. The lorry quickly gained speed, reaching about fifty miles an hour. At the bottom of the road, it crashed into the garden wall of the police station. William Weeks was at work there at the time and was instantaneously killed. Our William and the driver were thrown forward, and the girders hurled through the air, landing on and around them. They were renders unconscious and seriously injured. William sustained broken ribs and a fractured jaw.
The pair were taken by motor ambulance to the Okehampton Workhouse Infirmary and treated by Dr Wright. A month later, they were still too ill to give evidence in the inquest of the death of William Weeks; however, our William was able to get out of doors.
Family legend states that William was subsequently unable or found it difficult to work due to his injuries.
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| Amazingly the above is photograph of the crash site in 1923! |
Despite his injuries, William at some point managed to find a little work at Stockleigh Farm, which is about half way between Hatherleigh, where the fracas took place, and nearby Highampton. Stockleigh Farm was owned by one John Isaac. Also working at the farm, as a domestic servant, was young Dinah Bessie Easterbrook. Dinah had already had two children out of wedlock: Dinah was forced to give her eldest, Evelyn Mary (born 1920), up for adoption; she was able to keep her second child, Donald Jasper (born 1924), who family legend says was the son of Dinah's employer, farmer John Isaac. John Isaac passed away on 1st May 1928. Soon his funeral took place and principal mourners included William and Dinah. Days after John Isaac's funeral, William (his age is given as 46, implying he was born around 1881/1882) and Dinah (25) married on 10th May 1928, in Highampton.
Their wedding was reported in the Western Times on 18th May 1928:
That summer, John Isaac's brother sold Stockleigh Farm, meaning William and Dinah had to find work elsewhere. The pair, with their young children, moved around mid Devon following work. On her marriage certificate, William's daughter Bette lists his occupation as blacksmith. Did he find work as a blacksmith during the 1930s? Or did he perhaps work as a blacksmith prior to working for the railway? By the 20th century, there was less call for traditional blacksmithing; however, if skilled and trained in working metals, he would have been ideal to replace the unskilled workmen originally brought in to construct the railway lines.
After his marriage, William unofficially adopted Dinah's young son Donald. William and Dinah also had four more children:
- Victor W J 1929 - 2016 (87)
- Bessie 'Bette' Anne 1930 - 2010 (79)
- Stillborn twin (or died shortly after birth) 1930 - 1930 (0)
- Audrey Dinah 1934 - 2001 (66/67)
Alas William grew ill and by 1939 was incapacitated. By then the family were living in South Molton.
1939 Census:
In December 1939, William passed away, aged about fifty-seven.
William's young daughter Bette adored her father and was distraught when he died. She fondly remembered him playing his piano accordion. Unusually for the time, William wore earrings. Bette had near-black hair, hazel eyes, and skin that tanned to olive in the summer. Did she inherit her colouring from William? With his origins difficult to find in documents, his being of no fixed abode in 1923, his earrings, piano accordion, and possible colouring, it has been theorised that he was maybe of Romany gypsy origin.
Whether he was a gypsy, English blacksmith or Midlands navvy, hopefully the 1921 census will help us find out.
I like to picture him as a younger man, mop of dark hair, singing and playing his piano accordion, looking a bit like Alfie in Lark Rise to Candleford:
I like to picture him as a younger man, mop of dark hair, singing and playing his piano accordion, looking a bit like Alfie in Lark Rise to Candleford:
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