William George Watson (1880 - 1930)

Born 15 Oct 1880 in Hammersmith, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Son of George William Matthew Watson and Emma (Webb) Watson

Husband of Frances Lay (Jones) Watson — married 23 Feb 1907 in Lewisham, London, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 8 Oct 1930 at age 49 in Hammersmith, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Derrick Watson [send private message]

Biography

William was born 15 OCT 1880 at 35 Masbro Road North, Hammersmith, s/o William George Watson, laundryman and Emma Watson formerly Webb. Registered 23 Nov 1880 by E Watson of 35 Masbro Road North.^[1]

He was baptised 26 DEC 1880 at St Matthew, Hammersmith ^[2]

William was in the Army in 1901 fought with the Border Regiment in Waziristan (India).

From his Army papers (1901 to 1904 with the Border regiment. Private #6492):

Description:

5 foot 5 inches tall. Fresh complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He had a scar over his right eyebrow, and a tatto of a woman's head and the dedication "I Love" on his left forearm.

He joined up at the London recruiting office on the 8 March 1901 and was assigned to the Border regiment. For some unexplained reason he lied about his age, shaving two years of his actual age of 21. He was posted to India in February 1902 and came back to England in December 1903.

He was discharged as medically unfit in January 1904, but no reason is given for this unfitness for duty.

He gave his next of kin as:

Mother - Bella Mountney of 74 Cobbold Road, Shepherds Bush

Older brother - George Watson of the same address

Younger brother - Arthur Watson of the same address

Isabella Mountney was a widow in 1901 and William's mother had died in 1897 leaving his father a widower.

Cobbold Road is about a mile away from Masbro Road where the family lived, but is adjacent to the only school in the area, which William and his siblings would have attended along with the Mountney children, who were of the same age.

Bella and Emma [Webb] Watson both worked in the laundry, and their husbands were both carmen for the laundry.

When she got married in 1906 Cissie [Watson] Nichols gave her address as 68 Cobbold Road, and younger brother Arthur gave his as Becklow Road (the next road north from Cobbold Road) when he got married the same year.

It seems almost certain that George Watson and Bella Mountney became a couple after the death of Emma Watson.

Hence, Bella Mountney appears as NoK (mother) on William's Army papers, his older brother George is most likely George Mountney, and his younger brother Arthur was living with the Mountneys at Cobbold Road.

William George Watson, a bachelor aged 26, a Carman of 5 Vian Street, Lewisham, s/o William George Watson, an Undertaker's assistant (deceased); married Frances Lay Jones, a spinster aged 20, an Ironer of 7 Vian Street, Lewisham, d/o Daniel Jones, a Water turncock (deceased) in 1907 in Lewisham. ^[3]

The witnesses were M A Jones (probably Frances' mother, but could have been her cousin) and J Lewell (Jane Lewell lived in 1901 with her husband at 7 Vian Street Lewisham - the address from which Frances got married).

Although Frances' father is given as Daniel Jones (deceased) a water turncock, this is most likely a fabrication given the evidence of her birth certificate. Perhaps she used her uncle Daniel's name to add respectability.

William was barred from joining the army at the start of World War One due to his age (35). It was only when the impact of the enormous number of casualties began to be felt that attestation was opened up to the older generations by the Minister responsible (Lord Derby). Analysis of his army numbers shows that William joined the army in late December 1915 as one of the "Derby Men". The birth certificate of his daughter Doris in July 1916 records him as being a sergeant in the Machine Gun Corps with a civilian occupation of a laundry carman.

A year later he had a field transfer from the MGC into the North Staffordshire Regiment.

Family lore has it that at the end of the war he did not return home early but saw further duty fighting against the Bolsheviks in Russia. The North Staffordshire regiment supplied troops for operation Dunsterforce which was sent to help protect the oil fields in Azerbaijan. Unfortunately lists of troop names have not survived to prove that this was where he was sent.

In 1919 the birth certificate of his son George records him as being a journeyman shoemaker. In 1929 on the death certificate of his infant son Leslie he is said to be a journeyman glazier. Basically, he had no formal training for anything and would turn his hand to whatever job would put bread on the table.

His survival of his service in India and as a machine gun sergeant during WW1 only makes the circumstances of his death even more tragic. He survived three major conflicts only to die by slipping on some wet steps. His cause of death was recorded as:

Fracture of skull and haemorrhage compressing the brain from the laceration of a sinus consequent on a fall down the steps of a public lavoratory (accidental causes).

Certificate received from H R O Swatch Coroner for the Western District, County of London. Inquest held 10th Oct 1930 ^[4]

DNA Matches

• Paternal and Maternal relationship is confirmed by a GEDmatch test match between BW and his 2nd cousin once removed John Vincent. Their MRCAs are William's parents George Watson and Emma Webb. Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 3.5, based on sharing 119.0 cM across 6 segments.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Certificate, Fulham, Q4 1880, Vol 1a Page 226, mother=Webb
2. ↑ Parish Register, s/o William George & Emma Watson, Laundry man of 35 Masbro Road North
3. ↑ Marriage Certificate, Lewisham, Q1 1907, Vol 1d Page 1517
4. ↑ Death Certificate, Fulham, Q4 1930, Vol 1a Page 314, aged 49