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William Pursey (1843 – 1891)
William Pursey was born in 1843 in Wokingham, the son of William and Sarah, nee Rance, Pursey.
He was recorded with his parents and siblings Eliza, aged 12, Sarah, aged 10, James, aged 2, and Harriet, aged 1, in Wokingham in the 1851 census. His father William was an agricultural labourer. There is no trace of William in the 1861 census, he was not recorded with his parents.
William married Eliza Barnes on 13 October 1865 at St Michael in Horton in Buckinghamshire. At the time of the marriage, he was a gardener living in Horton. Eliza was born in 1846 in Colnbrook in Buckinghamshire.
In the 1871 census William and Eliza were recorded at Chesterton Lodge in Cirencester with children Eliza aged 4, Ellen aged 2 and Harriet aged 6 months. William was a gardener and domestic servant. The family had moved around since the marriage as Eliza was born in Reading, Ellen in Send in Surrey and Harriet in Colnbrook.
Ten years later in the 1881 census William and Eliza were living at 5 Crescent Road in Earley near Reading with five daughters and son William. William senior was recorded as a gardener.
Then in the 1891 census William and Eliza with daughter Emily aged 10 and son Thomas aged 8 were living at 4 Gordon Place in Speen with William working as a footman.
A few weeks after the census William died on 29 May 1891 in Newbury District Hospital. He was buried on 2 June 1891 at Newtown Road Cemetery.
An announcement appeared in the Reading Standard of 5 June 1891 as below.
PURSEY – On the 29th ult., at the District Hospital, William Pursey, aged 47.
Eliza subsequently married Charles Smith in Wokingham district in 1898. She died in July 1908 and was buried on 26 July at St James in Barkham, near Wokingham.
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