William was born on 26th June 1908 in Dunsford, Devon, to Isaac 'Harry' Harwood Vernon (39), an agricultural labourer and farm carter, and Ellen Vernon (nee Tonkins) (32), a former domestic servant and now a housewife.
William had four older half siblings (one half sister and three half brothers) - the children of his father Harry and his first wife Lucy James - :
- Edith Ellen 1891 - 1971 (79)
- Walter Charles 1892 - 1965 (73)
- William John 1894 - ???? (?)
- Frank 1896 - 19?? (?)
And nine full siblings (seven brothers and two sisters):
- Frederick 'Fred' (born Tonkins, later Vernon) 1897 - 1915 (18)
- Mabel Ellen 1898 - 1993 (94)
- George 1900 - 1900 (0 - 3 months)
- George Henry 1901 - 1973 (71)
- Ernest Isaac 1904 - 1997 (93)
- Isaac Harry (went by Henry) 1906 - 1964 (58)
- William Harwood 1908 - 1972 (64)
- Florence Emily 1911 - 1993 (82)
- Sidney 'Sid' 1913 - 2004 (91)
- Percy 1915 - 2002 (86)
William was born when he family lived briefly in Dunsford. Some of his older siblings attended the school there until July 1908, when the family moved about five miles east to Holcombe Burnell.
Around 1909, William's older siblings Mabel, George, Ernest and Henry attended school in Longdown (only a mile west of Holcombe Burnell where they previously attended), before the family moved about ten miles to Hittisleigh - the children attended the school there from September 1910. At the time they lived at Beer or Beara Cottage, which was seemingly about half way between Hittisleigh and Cheriton Bishop.
The family were still there a year later at the time of the 1911 Census:
Around November 1911, they family moved to Tenants Piece (or Tenantspiece) Cottage in Drewsteignton. They moved again in May 1912 to Whiddon Down, a hamlet just to the west of Drewsteignton.
Around 1912 to 1915, the family lived at Turnpike Gate or Toll Bar House in Whiddon Down. A toll-house, which often had a gate across the turnpike road, was a cottage on which the charges for the turnpike were often displayed.
William was six, when the First World War began. His older half brother Walter and older brother Fred both served in the war. Whilst Walter, an experience soldier, survived; teenage Fred was not so lucky. He was killed on Thursday 30th September 1915, during (or just after) the Battle of Loos, aged only eighteen. His name appears on the Men of Dunsford war memorial.
In Jan/Feb/Mar 1935, William (26) married Dorothy Brock (about 22) in the district of Okehampton.
Sadly, William and Dorothy's marriage was short-lived. In Oct/Nov/Dec 1935, Dorothy passed away, aged only twenty-two, in the district of Barnstaple.
William soon remarried. In Jul/Aug/Sep 1936, William (28) married Edna Bassett (23) in the district of Okehampton.
William and Edna had 6 children (three girls and three boys):
- Barbara J 1937 -
- William H 1940 -
- Michael J 1941 -
- Donald R 1950 -
- Marion 1953 -
- Shirley A 1956 -
The 1939 Census shows William, Edna and their eldest daughter living at Stockleigh Barton, Okehampton.
1939 Census:
William and Edna's eldest three children were born in the district of Okehampton in the late 1930's and 1940's. However, by 1950, it looks like the family had moved northward to Bideford, for there their fourth child Donald was born. Within a few years, they seemingly moved again, just over the border into Cornwall, for their fifth child Marion was born in Launceston in 1953. Finally they moved the the south coast of Devon - their youngest child Shirley was born in Plymouth in 1956.
In Jan/Feb/Mar 1972, William passed away, aged sixty-four, in Plymouth.
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