William George NEVILLE (1895–1918)
William George Neville was born in New Headington in 1896, the son of Charles Henry Neville or Nevill (born in Headington and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 5 April 1857) and his second wife Emma Louisa Horne (born in Tubney, Berkshire in 1867, registered third quarter).
Back in 1871 William’s father Charles Neville (14) was living in Silman’s Row (the south side of Wilberforce Street) with his parents and working as an errand boy, while his first wife Emily Hickman (born at Steeple Claydon, Buckinghamshire in 1856) was living with her parents at Steeple Claydon.
Charles was a cellarman and Emily was living in St Clement’s when they were married at St Andrew’s Church in Headington on 25 April 1878. They had four children, who were William’s half-siblings:
- James Henry Neville (born in Headington on 15 September 1880 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 31 October 1880)
- Ella Selina Neville (born in Headington on 8 March 1883 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 29 April 1883)
- Lizzie Neville (born in Headington on 16 July 1884 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 31 August 1884)
- Clara Lilian Neville (born at St Andrew’s Church on 16 July 1884 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 8 April 1888).
At the time of the 1881 census James, described as a grocer’s porter, was living in New High Street with Emily and their first child. She had three more children, but died at the age of 34 when they were all still very young. She was buried in Headington Cemetery on 6 July 1889.
Just a few months after his first wife’s death, in the last quarter of 1889, William’s father Charles Neville (32) married his second wife Emma Louisa Horne (22) in the Headington Registration District, and they had five children:
- Edith Mary Neville (born in Headington on 2 September 1890 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 19 October 1890)
- John Neville (born in Headington and privately baptised on 22 February 1892)
- Henry (Harry) Walter Neville (born in Headington on 9 November 1893 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 18 February 1894);
died at Bateman Street at the age of 15, buried in Headington Cemetery on 18 May 1909 - William George Neville (born in Headington on 15 November 1895 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 9 February 1896)
- Charles Bernard Neville (born in Bateman Street on 12 August 1903 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 4 October 1903).
The 1891 census shows William’s father working as a grocer’s porter and living with his second wife and their first child Edith (7 months) living at 13 Bateman Street (then No. 2 Oxford Terrace, East Road). Two of the children from his first marriage, James (9) and Clara (3), were also living with them; the other two appear to have been sent away to live with relatives: Ella (8) was with her step-grandmother Ella Horne in Tubney, while Lizzie (6) was with her uncle and aunt, John & Elizabeth Neville, in Clapham.
By the time of the 1901 census William’s father was working as a brewer’s labourer. The same two children from his first marriage were still at home: James (20), who was working as a gardener, and Clara (13). He now had five children by his second wife, including William himself (5).
The family was still living at 13 Bateman Street at the time of the 1911 census. William’s father was still a brewer’s labourer, living with his second wife and their four surviving children. Edith (20) was now working as a domestic nurse, while John (19) and William himself (18) were working as domestic gardeners. Both Edith and John were married within two years.
William’s father died at 13 Bateman Street at the age of 61, and was buried at Headington Cemetery on 23 April 1917, so was spared from seeing his son killed in the war.
In the First World War William George Neville served as a Private, first in the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 241014), and then in the 2nd/4th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Service No. 220238). He died of wounds in France at the age of 22 on 21 March 1918.
He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Pozières Memorial (Panels 56 and 57) and on the Roll of Honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield.
Postscript
William’s mother
- Emma Louisa Horne appears to have left Headington after the First World War. The death of an Emma L. Horne of the right age (80) was registered in the Dartford district in the second quarter of 1941.
William’s siblings
- Edith Mary Neville (born 1890) married Henry Smith in the Headington registration district in the first quarter of 1913.
- John Neville (born 1892) married Edith H. Simms in the Headington registration district in the second quarter of 1913. He was still working as a gardener when they had their daughter Dorothy Edith Neville baptised at All Saints’ Church on 19 October 1913: they were then living in Windsor Street.