Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

William Partridge was born on 9th November 1854.  He came from a farm labouring background in Witheridge in North Devon. He moved to London and lived in Kensington (which contained very poor areas at the time).  He was employed as a turncock at a waterworks. On 29th May 1882 he married Catherine Partridge from Little Gaddesden. Sometime between 1894 and 1898 the family moved to Berkhamsted. What brought the family to Berkhamsted, so that Catherine was nearer her roots, we do not know, but it is possible that Catherine left London so that she could look after an elderly aunt, Sarah Stanners, aged 75, who lived with them for several years. On arriving in Berkhamsted William obtained a job as caretaker at the newly established telephone exchange at No.5 Chapel Street. His early death at the age of 53 in 1908 meant that he did not live to see his son killed in WWI on his 19th birthday.  His son is commemorated on his memorial.   His wife took over the running of the exchange and is buried separately in the Cemetery.