Introduction
William served as the parish clerk from the 1850s until his death in 1889. He was also a farmer, shopkeeper and postmaster. He was married twice and had eleven children with his first wife. He died of lip cancer, possibly as a result of smoking.
Childhood
William was born around 1826 at Hardington, the youngest of three children born to Robert and Elizabeth Slade. His father, Robert, farmed a few acres in the 1840s and 1850s.
First marriage
On 31 March 1853, William married Elizabeth Burt at Hardington. At the time, William was about 27, and Elizabeth was about 24. Both signed the marriage register.
Elizabeth was a cook at the rectory, and her father, Robert Burt, was a farm labourer at Chedington.
William and Elizabeth lived in Barry Lane for the rest of their lives, initially residing in one of William White’s three tenements. Around 1868, they moved into the cottage in the dip owned by Rev. William Vassall.
Occupations
In March 1851, William was a farm labourer. By April 1861, he had become a farmer of 15 acres.
When he married in 1853, he listed his occupation as parish clerk, and he remained in this role for the remainder of his life.
He also ran a shop and later a post office. A trade directory of 1866 listed him as a shopkeeper, while one for 1872 listed him as a farmer, shopkeeper and parish clerk. Another for 1899 listed him as a Post Office receiver and parish clerk.
In April 1881, Elizabeth was a nurse at White Vine Farm, employed by Adam Thomas Rendell.
Family
William and Elizabeth had eleven children, one of whom died in infancy. By April 1871, the eldest child, Emma Susan, was working as a domestic in Yeovil. By April 1881, four more had moved out, leaving the five youngest residing at home.
Death of first wife
During the 1880s, Elizabeth was in poor health, and she died on 12 December 1887, due to rheumatism, heart disease and apoplexy at the age of 58.[1]
Second marriage
A year after the death of his first wife, William married Elizabeth Baker Ackland on November 2, 1888, in Hardington.[2] Elizabeth’s father, Henry Broom, had been a farmer at Yarcombe. She had previously been married to Thomas Ackland, a farm labourer who died in 1882, leaving her with one son and two daughters.[3]
Death
William did not enjoy the same longevity as his father, who died at the age of 87. Unfortunately, he developed lip cancer, possibly from smoking, and died on Boxing Day 1889, at the age of 63.[4]
His widow’s later life
After William’s death, his widow continued running the post office.
Sadly, one of her daughters, Elizabeth, developed Lupus, an autoimmune condition, and died on 23 August 1897 at 25 or 26 years old.[5]
Following her daughter’s death, Elizabeth Senior moved from Barry Lane to the High Street.[6] She was in poor health by this time, suffering from bronchitis, scrofula (a form of tuberculosis) and heart disease, and her other daughter, Mary Ann, moved in to care for her.
Elizabeth died on 5 March 1901 at the age of 64.
Children
William and his first wife had eight sons and three daughters.
References
[1] Death certificate of Elizabeth Slade.
[2] Western Gazette, 8 November 1888, p.1
[3] Two other children had died young.
[4] Death certificate of William Slade.
[5] Death certificate of Elizabeth Ackland (death recorded as 23).
[6] Hardington voters’ lists.
