In April 1861, William Guppy, aged 24, was a carpenter living at Oil Moor.
Childhood
William was born at Hardington in about 1836. He was the sixth child of Thomas Guppy, a canvas weaver, and his wife, Mary. He was a brother of Joseph Guppy.
On 9 September 1859, William Guppy was summoned for assaulting Sarah Apsey by kissing her without permission. The Bench accepted that William’s behaviour was no more than playful dalliance and dismissed the case.[1] William comes across as the village Jack the Lad, cheerful and exuberant, and it is difficult to reconcile this impression with the more serious-minded person he later became.
Married life
On 24 December 1863, William married Harriet Ann Templeman at the Ebenezer Chapel, Bower Hinton (an Independent Chapel). She was the daughter of William Templeman, a hamstone mason or stone cutter. Templeman spent his old age living as a pauper in William’s household.
William and Harriet set up home at Stoke-Sub-Hamdon, possibly in the home of her father, at Paradise Row, North Street. William continued to work as a carpenter, and by November 1885, when he appeared as a witness at Yeovil County Petty Sessions, he had his own building business.[2]
Harriet died in April 1878, aged 37, a few weeks after giving birth to a daughter. Despite the daunting task of single-handedly caring for seven children, all under the age of 13, William chose not to remarry.
Widowhood
In April 1881, all seven children lived with him. Fanny, the oldest, was a glover.
In April 1891, five children lived with William, Fanny lodged next door, and Mary Alice lived with her aunt, Susan Guppy, at the Castle Inn, West Coker.
William was probably a member of the Congregationalist Chapel built in the village in 1865.[3] In July 1884, he erected some swings and a bandstand for the Congregationalist Sunday School annual treat.[4]
In March 1892, William was elected an overseer of Stoke-sub-Hamdon.[5] In December 1894, he was elected to the parish council.[6]
William died on 30 April 1903, aged 64, leaving effects valued at £679-3s-10d.
William Guppy’s will
Daughter, Julia Ann Guppy: a field named Western Close and a £200 assurance policy.
Daughter, Alice Harriet Egbah Guppy: £100.
Daughter, Fanny Maud Trotman: £20 and “a useful suit of mourning.”
Daughters, Julia and Harriet: equal shares in his household effects and the residue of his estate.
He left nothing to his daughter, Mary Alice (the wife of Thomas James Gay), or his three sons, Thomas, William and Edwin.
References
[1] Sherborne Mercury 13 September 1859 p. 5
[2] Southern Times and Dorset County Herald, 6 November 1885, p.8.
[3] Pulman’s Weekly News and Advertiser, 24 October 1865, p.3.
[4] Western Gazette, 8 August 1884, p.7.
[5] Western Chronicle, 8 April 1892, p.7.
[6] Western Chronicle, 4 January 1895, p.6.