Biography:
William Brooks
1856 –26/03/1937
William Brooks
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Plot 488 William Brooks (1856-1937) (1856-1937)
William was born in 1856 in Northchurch, the son of Matthew Brooks and Lucy (née Belcher) and was baptised in St Mary’s 3 August that year.
In 1861 Matthew was a labourer in the watercress beds and Lucy was a straw plaiter. The family lived at Riverside Terrace Northchurch, which must have been convenient for the cress beds which were probably owned by the Bedford family who also ran the cress beds in Berkhamsted and Dudswell.
William had three older, and one younger, sister and an older brother. His grandmother Eliza Belcher, lived with them.
Two more sons were born to Matthew and Lucy before the 1871 census. The family still lived at Riverside Terrace, but Matthew was now a general labourer. Joseph, aged 17 was a shoemaker and William, aged 14, was a blacksmith, although it seems more likely that he was an apprentice or, at least, working with an adult. His two younger sisters and two younger brothers were also at home – “scholars”.
William married Emily Jane May, from Southsea in Hampshire, in 1880 and the next year the census shows him employed as a “coach smith” by Edward Pethybridge, coach builder, and living in one of the cottages attached to the coachworks.
Mr Pethybridge had been building horse-drawn carriages in his coach works since about 1841. He died in 1887 and left the business to his two sons. The coachworks and adjoining cottages ran east along the High Street from the junction with Cowper Road and were eventually replaced by the present block of red brick shops and flats with green window frames.
The couple were to have six children, although sadly only three survived beyond infancy: Alice (1882-1972), Annie (1883-4), Fred (1887-1963), May (1889-90), Mabel (1891-2) and Harry (b.1894)
By 1891 the couple had moved to 51, Kittsbury Road, a five-roomed house. William was still a coach smith as he was in 1901 and 1911.
In 1911 daughter Alice was a draper’s assistant, son Fred was a coach painter and Harry was a grocer’s apprentice. The gradual arrival of motor transport in the town must have seemed a threat to the livelihoods of William and Fred, but Fred was still a coach painter in 1939, so was clearly able to transfer his skills to the motor business.
Emily died in 1931 and was laid to rest here. William died 26 March 1937 aged 81.
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Plot 488 William Brooks (1856-1937) (1856-1937)
William was born in 1856 in Northchurch, the son of Matthew Brooks and Lucy (née Belcher) and was baptised in St Mary’s 3 August that year.
In 1861 Matthew was a labourer in the watercress beds and Lucy was a straw plaiter. The family lived at Riverside Terrace Northchurch, which must have been convenient for the cress beds which were probably owned by the Bedford family who also ran the cress beds in Berkhamsted and Dudswell.
William had three older, and one younger, sister and an older brother. His grandmother Eliza Belcher, lived with them.
Two more sons were born to Matthew and Lucy before the 1871 census. The family still lived at Riverside Terrace, but Matthew was now a general labourer. Joseph, aged 17 was a shoemaker and William, aged 14, was a blacksmith, although it seems more likely that he was an apprentice or, at least, working with an adult. His two younger sisters and two younger brothers were also at home – “scholars”.
William married Emily Jane May, from Southsea in Hampshire, in 1880 and the next year the census shows him employed as a “coach smith” by Edward Pethybridge, coach builder, and living in one of the cottages attached to the coachworks.
Mr Pethybridge had been building horse-drawn carriages in his coach works since about 1841. He died in 1887 and left the business to his two sons. The coachworks and adjoining cottages ran east along the High Street from the junction with Cowper Road and were eventually replaced by the present block of red brick shops and flats with green window frames.
The couple were to have six children, although sadly only three survived beyond infancy: Alice (1882-1972), Annie (1883-4), Fred (1887-1963), May (1889-90), Mabel (1891-2) and Harry (b.1894)
By 1891 the couple had moved to 51, Kittsbury Road, a five-roomed house. William was still a coach smith as he was in 1901 and 1911.
In 1911 daughter Alice was a draper’s assistant, son Fred was a coach painter and Harry was a grocer’s apprentice. The gradual arrival of motor transport in the town must have seemed a threat to the livelihoods of William and Fred, but Fred was still a coach painter in 1939, so was clearly able to transfer his skills to the motor business.
Emily died in 1931 and was laid to rest here. William died 26 March 1937 aged 81.
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