While stationed on the Isle of Wight, William met a young woman by the name of Jessie Harriet Williams. Although Jessie was only twenty one to William’s thirty six, they fell in love and decided to get married. On the 6th of August in 1879, they spoke their vows at the Wesleyan Chapel with F Douglas and Jane Rackett acting as witnesses. William gave his occupation on the marriage certificate as a plumber and glazier, so more than likely, he did not have permission to marry Jessie. His pay book clearly stated: “A soldier is not to marry without a written sanction, obtained from his Commanding Officer. Should he marry without this sanction, his Wife will not be allowed in Barracks, nor to follow the Regiment, nor will she participate in the indulgences granted to the Wives of other Soldiers.”
Presumably, after finally obtaining the official sanction from his commanding officer, the couple married again on the first day of October in 1879, this time at St. Mary’s parish church in Portsea, England on the mainland, after banns. On this second marriage record, William was shown as aged 36, a bachelor with an occupation of Bombardier RA. His address was 16 Claremont Terrace and his father was Thomas Bond, a fitter. Jessie Williams was shown in the record as aged 22, a spinster. Her father was shown as George Williams, a gardener. Witnesses at this second wedding were George Williams, Jessie’s father and Laura Jane Williams, Jessie’s sister.
Only six weeks after the wedding, on 11 December 1879, William was sent to Delhi in the north of India were he remained for a year and a half. He left India on the 24th of March 1881 and arrived back in England on the 11th of May 1881. Since his wife Jessie was officially sanctioned after the second marriage, she should have been allowed to follow the regiment and probably went to India with her new husband.
On the 14th of August 1882, William and Jessie’s first child, Laura Alice was born in Woolwich where he was stationed after returning to England. The baby was named for Jessie’s sister Laura and William’s mother Alice.
When Laura was almost two, on the 5th of July 1884, William and Jessie had a second child Thomas Henry also born in Woolwich. He was named for William’s father Thomas and his middle name might have echoed the middle name of Jessie’s late brother George Henry.
On the 4th of April in 1887, their third child, Frances Josephine was born in Slough Fort, Middlesex. Frances was William’s maternal grandmother’s name but no Josephine shows in the records.
In early 1890, William left the Royal Artillery with an honorable discharge at Gravesend near London. He had served in the RA for a total of 22 years, 106 days and had spent 7 years, 125 days abroad.
On the 3rd of November in 1890, the couple’s fourth child, John Arthur was born. On John’s birth certificate, William’s occupation was listed as a night watchman and the address listed was 25 Maiden Lane in London. The family was trying to adjust to life away from the military.
At the time of the 1891 census in April the following year, William was ill and was a patient at the St. Georges of the East infirmary. His occupation was listed as a night porter. It was not a good time for the family. Both four year old son Thomas and six year old daughter Frances were also patients in the infirmary. Eight year old Laura was listed as a scholar at the Industrial School of St. George in the East, possibly there because of truancy. Jessie was living in Southward at 73 Jubilee Building with baby John Arthur who was only five months old.
Sadly, on the 26th of August in 1893, William died while working as a watchman on Joiner Street in London. He was rushed to Guy’s Hospital after injesting smelling salts from a bottle he carried in his jacket pocket and was pronounced dead by the attending physician, Francis Jordan Coleman. An inquest into his death was held at Southwark on the 29th of August and his death was registered the next day on August the 30th, citing a death certificate issued by SF Laugham, the coroner for Southwark. During the inquest into William’s death, it was noted by Fred Srewett Jr of the St. Saviour church on Church Street, that William had “given way to drink for some years” and had been “the worse for drink” at the time of his death.
