William Simon Atkins

1871-1904

William, his parents and early life:

William was born in Newbury, Berkshire, he was baptised on the 31^st May 1871 at St Nicolas Church Newbury, the son of Joseph (a Bricklayer) and Mary Ann Atkins (nee Seward) who were married on the 7^th Mary 1865 at St Nicolas, Newbury.

William’s father Joseph was born in 1839 in Newbury, Berkshire, the son of Simon and Martha Atkins (formerly Burkett, nee Hopson) who were married on the 13^th June 1836 at St Nicolas Church Newbury. Joseph died aged 32 in 1872. He was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 7^th June.

His mother Mary Ann was born c1837 in Newbury, Berkshire, the daughter of Daniel and Adah Seward (nee Newman) who were married on the 10^th January 1835 at St Mary, Thatcham, Berkshire. Mary Ann gave birth to a stillborn child in 1869 who was buried in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 20^th September. She remarried in 1876, her 2^nd husband was Henry Portsmouth.

(Henry was baptised on the 27^th October 1844 in St Mary Bourne, Hampshire, the son of Mary Portsmouth (nee Sims). Henry’s father John died aged 47 in 1843. His mother married Charles Swain on the 15^th February 1845 in St Mary Bourne. Henry was also known as Henry Swain).

Mary Ann Portsmouth died aged 41 in 1878, she was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 24^th September.

William in later life:

After his mother’s death William lived with his maternal grandparents. The 1881 census records him aged 9 living in Bolton Place, Newbury with his grandfather Daniel Seward (69,) a Retired Mealman and his grandmother Ada(h) Seward (70).

He married in 1893.

Marriage details:

Place: St Nicolas Church Newbury

Date: 14^th May 1893

Groom: William Simon Atkins, aged 22, bachelor, occupation, Printer, abode, West Mills, Newbury

Bride: Annie Eliza Pemberton, aged 22, spinster, abode, West Mills, Newbury

Fathers: Joseph Atkins, deceased, a Bricklayer and James Pemberton, a Carpenter

Witnesses: William Henry Pemberton and Elizabeth Jane Jessie Pemberton

Annie and William were 1^st cousins, their mothers were sisters.

(Annie Eliza was born in 1871 in Newbury, Berkshire, the daughter of James and Susanna(h) Pemberton (nee Seward) who were married on the 13^th December 1863 at St Mary Aldermaston, Berkshire. (James was from Wooton, Hampshire).

(Annie gave birth to a daughter, Elsie Susannah Atkins Pemberton in the June quarter 1891. Elsie Susanna died aged 2 in 1893, her death was registered as Elsie Susanna Atkins in the September quarter. She was buried in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 2^nd August as Emily Susanna Atkins).

William and Annie had the following children:

William James born 1893 in Newbury

Charles Herbert born 1896 in Newbury

Annie Elsie Susannah born 1898 in Newbury

Mary Ann born 1901 in Newbury.

Joseph Francis born 1903 in Reading (died aged 5 months in 1904, buried 9^th January at London Road Cemetery Reading)

Joseph born 1904 in Reading (died aged 5 months in 1905, buried in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 19^th April)

The 1901 census records William Simon (29) as a Printer’s Compositor, living in Bedford Road, Reading, Berkshire. His wife Annie Eliza (29) and their children William (7), Charles (5) and Annie (2) were recorded visiting Annie Eliza’s parents James Pemberton (62), a Carpenter and Susannah Pemberton (62), at 3 Eton Villas, Berkeley Road, Newbury. (Other people recorded in the household were Annie’s sister, Elizabeth Jane Jessie Pemberton (36), a boarder, Robert Thomas Ayres (35) (later married Elizabeth Jane Jessie) Elizabeth Jane Jessie’s illegitimate daughter Maud Louise Ayres Pemberton (1) and Annie’s nephew Percy Howard Lane (1) (son of her married sister Ada Harriet).

William Simon died aged 34 on the 29^th December 1904 and was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 4^th January 1905.

Annie Eliza remarried later that year. Her 2^nd husband was James Summersby

(James Summersby was born in Perth Scotland the son of James and Mary Elizabeth Summersby (nee Graham) who were married in 1875 in Cockermouth Cumberland)

Annie died aged 36 in 1906, she was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 16^th October.

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