WILLIAM SAMUELS (my 2 x great grandfather) was born in 1804 in Newbury, the son of William and Mary, and lived in and around Newbury all his life. Very little is known about him until April 1829 when he married Mary Purdue. Their son William Henry was born in 1831 followed by a daughter Charlotte in 1834, sadly William Henry died at just 4 years old in 1835 and his grandmother Mary (William snr’s mother) died early in 1836. To add to the family’s problems, William’s wife (also Mary) passed away later in the same year.

William, now left with a young daughter, married his late wife’s sister Hannah Purdue in December 1837. 1841 finds the family living at The Quaker Burial Ground, Cheap Street, Newbury with Charlotte, now aged 7 years, and a second daughter (the first child of this second marriage) Caroline. William’s occupation at this stage is listed as a Tailor.

By 1851 the family are living at Garlands Buildings, Cheap Street, Newbury and now have three more children, Thomas, another William, and a daughter Sarah Ann. In 1861 they are now at Mayor’s Lane, Cheap Street (still in the same area of town) with the three younger children. By this time Charlotte has married in 1856 and Caroline in 1860 – both are living close by. William is still listed as a Tailor. By 1871 all the children have left home and William and Hannah are still at Mayor’s Lane.

William passed away three years later in 1874 at the age of 70 years. Hannah, his wife (my 2 x great grandmother), survived him by a further 5 years and died in March 1879. She is also buried in the Cemetery and William’s eldest daughter Charlotte Harding.

Author: Sylvia Green
© Sylvia Green