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James Willis (1812 – 1888)
Sarah Willis (1811 – 1878)
James Willis was born on 13 May 1812 in Newbury the son of Samuel and Lucy, nee Hamblin. He was baptized on 5 July 1812 at St Nicolas in Newbury. James married Sarah Shapcott on 27 April 1834 at St Mary in Thatcham. Sarah was born 2 March 1811 in Newbury, the daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth, nee Bowles.
James and Sarah had two children prior to the introduction of civil registration on 1 July 1837, Maria in circa 1835 and Henry in circa 1836. They then had ten more children, Clara (1837), James (1839), John (1841), Elizabeth (1843), Lucy (1846), Fanny (early 1848), Walter (late 1848), Kate (1851), Arthur (1853) and Rhoda (1856).
In the 1841 census James and Sarah were living at 101 Northbrook Street in Newbury with children Maria aged 6, Henry aged 4, Clara aged 3, James aged 2 and John aged 1 month with James recorded as a tailor.
Sadly, three of the children died in 1848 as infants and they were all buried at St Nicolas in Newbury. Fanny was buried on 9 February 1848 aged 7 weeks, Elizabeth on 15 May 1848 aged 4 years and 7 months and then Lucy on 10 November 1848 aged 2 years 10 months.
By the time of the 1851 census James and Sarah had moved to 4 Jack of Newbury Street in Newbury with children Maria aged 15, James aged 11, Walter aged 2 and Kate aged 3 months with James recorded as a tailor and Maria as a dressmaker.
Ten years later in the 1861 census James and Sarah were still living in Jack of Newbury Street in Newbury with children Henry aged 24, James aged 21, Walter 12 aged 2, Kate aged 10, Arthur aged 8 and Rhoda aged 4. James was recorded as a tailor as were sons Henry and James.
James and Sarah were recorded in Speenhamland in the 1871 census with son James aged 31 and daughter Rhoda aged 14. James was recorded as a master tailor while son James was a tailor and Rhoda a dressmaker.
Sarah Willis died on 15 January 1878 aged 66 at Waterloo Place and was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 21 January 1878. An announcement appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 17 January 1878 as below.
WILLIS – Jan. 15, at Waterloo Place, Newbury, Sarah, wife of James Willis, aged 66 years.
Three years later in the 1881 census James was living by himself in Waterloo Place and recorded as a journeyman tailor.
James Willis died on 18 January 1888 aged 66 at the Workhouse in Newbury and was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 22 January 1888. An announcement appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 26 January 1888 as below.
WILLIS – Jan. 18, James Willis, of Newbury, tailor, aged 76
An announcement also appeared in Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of White Horse Gazette dated 28 January 1888 as below.
WILLIS – On the 18th inst., at the Workhouse, Newbury. James Willis, aged 76.
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