Great x3 Uncle William (1868 - 1920) was a laundryman, father of one, and the older brother of my Great Great Grandmother Grandmother Mary Ann 'Polly' Boobier (nee Manning) (1869 - 1916).
William was born on 14th January 1868 in Exeter, Devon to William Manning (about 38), a general labourer, and Mary Ann Manning (nee Ireland) (about 27), a laundress.
William was baptised on 1st March 1868, in Holy Trinity, Exeter. He was named after his father.
The young family lived on James' Street, at the time of William's baptism.
William was the second of nine children (five daughters and four sons):
- Emma 1865 - 1866 (11 months old)
- William 1868 - 1920 (51 years old)
- Mary Ann 'Polly' 1869 - 1919 (48 years old)
- Kate 1871 - 1916 (46 years old)
- Rose 1875 - 1877 (2 years old)
- Samuel 1877 - 1877 (11 weeks old)
- James 1878 - 1887 (8 years old)
- Unnamed Daughter 1880 - 1880 (0 years old)
- Frederick John 1882 - 1882 (6 weeks old)
Two years before William was born, his older sister Emma had passed away, aged only eleven months.
1871 Census:
From May 1876, William, aged eight, attended Rack Street School.
Very sadly six of William's siblings passed away as children..
Two years before William was born, his older sister Emma passed away, aged 11 months, in 1866.
In August 1877, when William was nine, he lost two younger siblings: Samuel, aged eleven weeks, and Rose, aged two years.
In 1880, when William was twelve, his baby sister, who was so young that she was yet to receive a name, passed away.
In March 1882, when William was fourteen, his youngest brother Frederick passed away, aged six weeks.
And in 1887, when William was eighteen or nineteen, his brother James passed away, aged eight years.
1881 Census:
On the day of the census in 1891, William was a patient at the West of England Eye Infirmary on Magdalen Street, Exeter. I don't know if William had sight issues, an operation on his eyes, or simply needed glasses.
1891 Census:
Early in 1895, when William was twenty-seven, his father of the same name passed away, aged sixty-five, in Exeter.
In 30th November 1895, William (27), a laundry porter, married Ellen Hole (18), in The Holy Trinity, Exeter.
Ellen would have been about three-four months pregnant, when they wed, as their son William was born in April/May 1896.
William and Ellen had one son:
- William James 1896 - 1918 (22 years old)
1901 Census:
At some point, William took over his Mary Ann's laundry business. In 1906 and 1908, the Mannings advertised for 'good washers' and 'best ironers' for their at home laundry business.
From the Western Times of 31st August 1906:
From the Western Times of 10th April 1908:
In 1908, when William was forty, his mother Mary Ann passed away, aged sixty-six, in Exeter.
1911 Census:
The 1911 Census shows William's sisters Mary Ann and Kate living only three doors down at 4 Colleton Grove.
In 1916, when William was forty-eight, his sister Mary Ann passed away, aged forty-six, in Exeter.
Sadly, William and Ellen's only child, named for himself, was killed in action, on 25th April 1918, during the First World War.
William junior (service number 30555) was a private in the Devonshire Cyclists regiment.
He is honoured on the Pozieres Memorial, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France.
From the Western Times of 24th May 1918:
From the Western Times of 28th May 1918:
William junior didn't marry. But his - I presume girlfriend, and possibly fiance - Gladys Annie Lucy Wyatt gave birth to their son, William James Manning Wyatt, three months after William's death, on 26th July 1918, at Friar's Walk.
The baby was the fifth of his name: his father, grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather was all called William Manning.
In 1919, when our William was fifty-one, his younger sister Kate passed away, aged forty-eight, in Exeter.
On 27th December 1920, William himself passed away, aged fifty-two, at his home at 12 Friar's Walk. Though the second eldest of nine children, William was the last surviving and longest living of his siblings.
His death from heart failure was sudden and unexpected. After dinner, he walked in the garden. On returning indoors, he fell into his wife Ellen's arms and died without speaking.
From the Western Times of 30th December 1920:
From the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 30th December 1920:
The 1921 Census shows William's widow Ellen still living at 12 Friar's Walk with her widowed older sister Annie.
1921 Census:
After her husband's sudden death, Ellen, who herself was in ill health, decided to sale their home of 12 Friars' Walk.
Their home was a large one. From humble beginnings, they must have built up quite the laundry business to afford such a property. 12 Friars Walk had twelve rooms (seven bedrooms, a bathroom with hot and cold running water, three reception rooms and good offices).
The 1921 Census says Ellen and his sister Annie were only living in two rooms though. The rest seem to have been rented out.
From the Western Times of 27th May 1921:
From the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 1st November 1821:
After the home was sold, the furniture was sold too.
From the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 1st September 1922:
