Deacon plot

Location

Plot number (FHS)	1122
Row	14
Section	10
Date

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Deacon plot

Plot number:
14,10
Family name:
Deacon
Burial date:

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Who is buried here?

Read about the lives of the 2 people buried here — click on a name to view a biography.

William Deacon

31/08/1858 –10/02/1945

General labourer with the Berkhamsted Urban District Council, father to six, lived in Holliday St

31/08/1858 –10/02/1945

General labourer with the Berkhamsted Urban District Council, father to six, lived in Holliday St

Relatives

Sarah Ann Deacon — wife

Research:

Christopher Dolton

WILLIAM DEACON; 1858 – 1945
William was born on 31st August 1858 in Berkhamsted, the second of four children born to James and Maria Deacon. William’s elder sister was born in 1857 and he had two younger sisters, Anne, born in 1861 and Elizabeth, born in 1864.

In 1861 the family was living in The Pightle which later became Highfield Road. The 1861 census reveals that James’ father was not with the family at the time of the census. He is recorded as being at New Lodge in Northchurch where he was working as a gardener. By the time of the 1871 census, the family had moved to Victoria Road. William’s father, then 60 years of age, was working as gardener. Emily, 17 years old, was working as a straw plaiter. William, 12 years old was attending school, as were his two younger sisters.

Ten years later William at the age of 22 was working as a general labourer. He was still living with his parents, James and Maria, and his younger sister Annie. The 1871 census notes she was a domestic servant, although at the time of the census she was unemployed. In 1891 William was 31 years old and still working as a general labourer. William’s father James died in 1885. By 1891 William and his mother, Maria, age 66, had moved to Highfield Road. Maria was to die on 1st November 1900. William continued to work as a general labourer.

William married Sarah Ann Kibble in 1893 and a year later Sarah gave birth to the couple’s first child, James. Sarah and William had five more children, Maud, born in 1897; Harry, 1898; Ernest, 1902; Herbert, 1905 and Frank, 1907.

William is recorded in the 1901 census as a bricklayer’s labourer, but by 1911, whilst he was still a labourer, he was then working for the Urban District Council. Local government duties had previously fallen to the parish Vestry. Whilst initially concerned with the upkeep of the fabric of the parish church, the Vestry became responsible for many aspects of local government including relief of the poor, public health, provision of a fire service (the fire engine was kept in St Peter’s church), and maintenance of law and order. As the nineteenth century progressed, the Vestry gradually lost its non-ecclesiastical duties. The Local Government Act of 1888 transferred local functions to county councils and county boroughs and an 1894 Act established Urban District Councils. The Berkhamsted Urban District Council came into being in 1898. The Council inherited a faulty drainage and sewage system and the Council had to spend large sums rebuilding the system. Somewhat slowly at first, the Council also began building houses, developing estates at Gossoms End, Swing Gate Lane and Highfield. William, as a labourer employed by the Council, is likely to have worked on such developments.

The Electoral Rolls for 1920 and subsequent rolls up to 1930 reveal that William and Sarah moved to live at 14 Holliday Street. They were living at that address in 1939. Even though William was then 81 years old, he is still described in the 1939 register as “General Labourer, Urban District Council.” although presumably by then he had retired.

William died on 10th February 1945 at 14 Holliday Street. His death certificate described him as “Council road foreman retired”. He was age 86 years and died of heart degeneration. Sarah Ann was present at his death and he was buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery.

Sarah Ann Deacon

30/04/1870 –25/03/1949

One of ten children of labourer and straw plaiter. Dom servant, married a labourer, had 6 children.

30/04/1870 –25/03/1949

One of ten children of labourer and straw plaiter. Dom servant, married a labourer, had 6 children.

Relatives

William Deacon — husband

Research:

Christopher Dolton

SARAH ANN DEACON; 1870 -1949
Sarah was born on 30th April 1870 in Stewkley, Bucks. Her parents were William and Mary Ann Kibble. By the time of the 1871 census Sarah was 11 months old. Her father, William, was then 23 years of age and worked as an agricultural labourer. Her mother, Mary, was 22 and a straw plaiter. Sarah was one of 10 children born to William and Mary: Frederick, 1867; Sarah Ann, 1870; Joseph, 1872; John 1877; Louisa, 1879; Florence, 1882; Edna, 1884; Annie, 1886; William, 1888; Elizabeth, 1890.

Ten years later in 1881 the family had moved to Berkhamsted and were living in Canal Side. William was elsewhere at the time of the census (he was back with the family for the 1891 census). Mary is noted as the head of the family and that she is married. She continued to work as a straw plaiter. Sarah’s brother Frederick, 14 years old, was working as an agricultural labourer. Sarah was then 11.

The 1891 census reveals that Sarah was one of two domestic servants working for the Alcock family. Sarah was the cook. John Alcock and his wife Augusta had two children. John Alcock’s occupation is given in the census as shipowner and shipbroker. As a domestic servant Sarah lived in the Alcock’s family home in Berkhamsted High Street. In 1891 Sarah was 20 years of age, but in Victorian times girls entered service at a young age and although we know that ten years earlier at the age of 11, Sarah was living her family, it is likely that she began work as a domestic servant not long after that.

Sarah married William Deacon in 1893. Like her father and older brother, he too was a labourer. A year later Sarah gave birth to their first child, James. Sarah and William had five more children, Maud, born in 1897; Harry, 1898; Ernest, 1902; Herbert, 1905 and Frank, 1907.

The Electoral Rolls for 1920 and subsequent rolls up to 1930 reveal that William and Sarah moved to live at 14 Holliday Street. They were living at that address in 1939 and both continued to live at that address for the rest of their days.

Although Hertfordshire Monumental Inscriptions records that the date of Sarah’s death as shown on the grave was 25th March 1949, her death certificate tells us she died on the following day, 26th March 1949. Sarah died at 14 Holliday Street. She died of heart failure, influenza and “senile decay.” She was 78 years old. Her daughter Maud was with her at the time of her death.

She was buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery alongside her husband William.

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