William was born 30 January 1881 in Buxton Norfolk. His parents were Elizabeth and Matthew Woodhouse. His father was a gardener.
William was baptised in the local church on 6 March 1881.
He had three siblings;
Ida Elizabeth born 1879
Albert Victor born 17 January 1888
Adelaide Alice born 1892.
In 1891 the family lived in Mill Street, Buxton.
In 1901 they were living in Vicarage Lane, Buxton and William was working as a gardener.
In 1908 he married Sarah Ann Pridmore in Uppingham, Rutland. She was born 28 March 1884 in Leicestershire. Her family lived in the Uppingham area.
In 1908 they were living in Sunningdale, Berkshire where their first child William Matthew was born 26 December 1908.
William is on the Electoral Roll for Saxlingham Nethergate in 1910
In 1911 they lived on Saxlingham Green and he was working as a domestic gardener.
They had three more children;
Louis B Woodhouse born 25 October 1915
Owen D Woodhouse born 21 October 1921
Ruby A Woodhouse born 5 March 1924
During the First World War William served in 667th Agricultural Company, Service number 492347. His service records have not survived.
These companies were originally made up from men who had belonged to other regiments but because of medical problems could not serve in fighting units. Men in their late forties and fifties were allowed to choose to serve in these companies instead of fighting regiments. It is not known in what previous regiment William had served.
As he is on the war memorial in Saxlingham Nethergate he must have returned to the village at the end of the war. However by 1920 he was living in Shotesham All Saints. He continued to live there for the rest of his life living initially on the Street and then on The Common.
In 1939 William and Sarah lived on The Common, Shotesham All Saints, Norfolk. He was working as a private gardener. Also living at home were Louis and Owen. Louis was working in a chocolate factory in Norwich as a labourer, and Owen was a garden labourer. Ruby was boarding in Norwich and working as a shop assistant in a newsagent’s shop
William Matthew had married in 1934 and his family also lived in Shotesham. In 1939 he was in the Royal Navy. He had joined originally in 1926 and left in 1933. He had rejoined in 1938 and served during the Second World War.
William continued to live in Shotesham but nothing more is known of his life there.. He died in April 1965 in Norwich and his wife died in 1970.
Acknowledgements
England & Wales, Birth, marriage, death index 1837-2005
UK Census Collection
1939 Register- www.findmypast.co.uk
Norfolk Electoral Rolls-Southern Division Saxlingham Nethergate and Thorpe, & Shotesham All Saints, ( 1920- 1931) (Absent Voters Lists 1918-1920, Saxlingham Nethergate)
Royal Navy Record
Norfolk, Church of England Diocesan Baptismal Records, Buxton, Norfolk
If anyone has any photographs or information about this person, please contact me. Email jan@janmfox.co.uk