William was born around 1829 in South Molton, Devon to William Vernon (about 35), a labourer and pauper, and Sarah Vernon (nee Prout) (about 27).
William was baptised on 12th April 1829 in South Molton. At the time, the family lived in East Street, South Molton.
William was the second of eight children (five sons and three daughters):
- John 1827 - 1855 (28 years old)
- William 1829 -
- Mary 1831 - 1845 or 1847 (13 - 16 years old)
- James 1833 -
- Henry 1835 -
- Elizabeth 1839 -
- Thomas 1841 -
- Sarah Bray 1843 -
Around 1830/1831, when William was a baby or toddler, it seems he and his family moved from South Molton to Ashreigney. Sadly, they resided for some time in the poorhouse there. William's younger siblings Mary and James were born in the poorhouse.
Young William, aged only twelve on the 1841 Census, lived with and worked as an apprentice for the Ley family, headed by farmer John Ley, at Redland, Ashreigney.
1841 Census:
By 1851, William, then a young man, lived with and worked for the Tout family as a farm labourer, at Westyard, Ashreigney. His older brother John had worked there previously, appearing at Westyard in the 1841 Census. Whilst William worked for the Tout family, his father and older brother John were alas paupers
1851 Census:
On 20th October 1853, William (24), an agricultural labour, married Martha Dyment (20), a glover, in Martha's native Dolton. Neither William nor Martha was able to sign their name on their marriage certificate, implying neither could write.
William and Martha had twelve children (five daughters and seven sons):
- Susan 1855 -
- Thomas 1857 -
- William Robert 1859 -
- Sarah Ann 1860 -
- Silas 1862 -
- Mary 'Jane' Jane 1864 -
- Arthur John 1865 -
- Isaac 'Harry' Harwood 1869 -
- Martha 1871 -
- Louisa 1872 - 1874 (16 months)
- Samuel 'Sam' Reuben 1875 -
- Ernest 1878 - 1903 (25 years)
1861 Census:
In the late 1860s, William and his family moved from Moorwater, Ashreigney to Fowl House, Iddesleigh.
1871 Census:
Around 1874, the family moved again to Hatherleigh. There, when William was about forty-five, his youngest daughter Louisa passed away, aged only 16 months.
By 1875, when William's son Sam was born, they had moved to Brushford; and by 1878, when his youngest son Ernest was born, they were living in Wembworthy.
Sometime in the late 1870s, they moved again to Stopgate, Zeal Monachorum.
1881 Census:
By 1891, they had moved again to Coldridge. Only William and Martha's youngest child, Ernest, remained at home with his parents. The rest each left home at an early age to work on different farms around mid Devon.
1891 Census:
Soon Ernest too left home, whilst William and Martha remained at Coldridge.
1901 Census:
By 1901, it seems the elderly William was no longer working. How then did the elderly couple support themselves?
In Apr/May/Jun 1903, when William was about seventy-four, his wife Martha passed away, aged about sixty-nine, in the district of Crediton. Alas a short time later, on 10th July 1903, their youngest son Ernest, aged twenty-five, was tragically killed by a train at Stafford level crossing, a few miles from Exeter. What a sad time this must have been for William.
Sometime in the 1900s, William moved in with his eldest daughter Susan and her family at their cottage at Hollow Tree, near Chawleigh.
1911 Census:
On 1st October 1917, William passed away at Hollow Tree, with his eldest daughter Susan at his side. The cause of death was recorded as senile decay. Though on his death certificate, William's age at death was recorded at eighty, we know he was baptised in 1829, meaning he would have been in fact eighty-eight.
Whilst alive, William had been a religious man. My father's family tree research from the mid 1990s says William was "thought to be a minister at Aller Bridge (Allerbeare) Chapel at Coldridge." His son Harry also "used to preach when younger, he knew all the bible references etc... Sidney [son of Harry] thinks these were drummed into him by William".
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