Biography:
William Shirley
1864 –1938
William Shirley
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Unmarked grave William Shirley (1864-1938)
William was born in 1864 in Little Missenden, Bucks to John and Mary Shirley. His father was an agricultural labourer and his mother a lace maker.
In 1881 he was an agricultural labourer at Coldharbour Farm, Berkhamsted.
William married Fanny Delderfield in Amersham 1882. They were to have 11 children, 8 of whom were still alive in 1911.
The couple initially settled in Little Missenden and on 24 October 1882 William found himself up before the Petty Sessions accused of stealing “a large part of the trunk of a tree [that had] been broken down by the wind in Bray’s Wood, Little Missenden, belonging to a Mr Drake.” Mr Drake’s wood bailiff testified that he’d found the wood in William’s garden and valued it at 1s. William was fined 5s (about £25 in 2025).
Mary (1884) and Albert (1886) were both born in Little Missenden and Ellen (1889) at Amersham Common.
The family moved to Canal Side, Berkhamsted by 1891. William found employment as a labourer.
Arthur was born in 1893 followed by Elizabeth (1895), James (1898) and Fred (1900)
and in 1901 William and Fanny were at 3, Canal Side with Mary, Albert, Ellen, Arthur, Elizabeth, James and Fred.
George was born in 1902.
The 1911 census records that William was a farm labourer and the family were living at 6, Canal Side. Arthur, Elizabeth, James, Fred were at home. Arthur working for Cooper’s chemicals and Elizabeth at the mantle factory in Lower King’s Road.
William died at Hempstead House, Hemel Hempstead in February 1938 aged 74.
Fanny survived him until 1951.
View this burial in the cemetery
Unmarked grave William Shirley (1864-1938)
William was born in 1864 in Little Missenden, Bucks to John and Mary Shirley. His father was an agricultural labourer and his mother a lace maker.
In 1881 he was an agricultural labourer at Coldharbour Farm, Berkhamsted.
William married Fanny Delderfield in Amersham 1882. They were to have 11 children, 8 of whom were still alive in 1911.
The couple initially settled in Little Missenden and on 24 October 1882 William found himself up before the Petty Sessions accused of stealing “a large part of the trunk of a tree [that had] been broken down by the wind in Bray’s Wood, Little Missenden, belonging to a Mr Drake.” Mr Drake’s wood bailiff testified that he’d found the wood in William’s garden and valued it at 1s. William was fined 5s (about £25 in 2025).
Mary (1884) and Albert (1886) were both born in Little Missenden and Ellen (1889) at Amersham Common.
The family moved to Canal Side, Berkhamsted by 1891. William found employment as a labourer.
Arthur was born in 1893 followed by Elizabeth (1895), James (1898) and Fred (1900)
and in 1901 William and Fanny were at 3, Canal Side with Mary, Albert, Ellen, Arthur, Elizabeth, James and Fred.
George was born in 1902.
The 1911 census records that William was a farm labourer and the family were living at 6, Canal Side. Arthur, Elizabeth, James, Fred were at home. Arthur working for Cooper’s chemicals and Elizabeth at the mantle factory in Lower King’s Road.
William died at Hempstead House, Hemel Hempstead in February 1938 aged 74.
Fanny survived him until 1951.
Relatives
No relatives have been linked to William Shirley
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