William Anderton
Convoy Work, Air Raids and Hospital Work
William Anderton was one of seven children born to Horsfall Anderton, a stone quarry worker from Denholme, and Elizabeth Anderton who was from Kirby near Appleby-in-Westmorland. I have not been able to locate a marriage record for them but several family trees on ancestry indicate her maiden name was Akister and she had a son, Joseph Jackson, when she met Horsfall.
William was born on 11th March 1889 and baptised at St. John's Church in Cullingworth on 18th August 1895, the same day as siblings Jonas (born 1886), Thomas (born 1891) and Harry (born 1894).
William Anderton's baptism record
In 1891 the family lived at Halifax Road in Cullingworth, Horsfall was described as a labourer at a stone quarry. This may have been the Flappit Quarry which I believe was probably the closest quarry in the area at that time. William was the youngest child at this time, his older siblings were Richard, Esther and Jonas. Elizabeth's son Joseph was with his maternal grandparents in Bingley.
In 1901 they were still living on Halifax Road, at number 12. Horsfall was working as a steam (indecipherable word) driver at the stone quarry and Richard was a flat stone dresser, so may have been at the same quarry. Esther and Jonas were working as wool spinners and William as a doffer in a factory. Two more brothers, Thomas and Harry, had been born in the intervening years.
The Anderton family on the 1901 census
Still at 12 Halifax Road in 1911, Richard and Jonas had left the family home. Horsfall was still at he quarry, operating the cranes. Esther was a worsted twister, Thomas a worsted overlooker and Harry was an apprentice fitter. William was working at a brickyard, again I haven't been able to decipher the specific wording of his occupation.
From 15th September 1915 until 19th April 1919 William worked at Morton Banks War Hospital undertaking convoy work. This would have involved transporting supplies and sick and wounded soldiers to and from the hospital. He was also involved in hospital work and air raids. His VAD card shows that he worked for a total of 1,107 hours in that time.
At least two of William's brothers were serving - Jonas was with the Prince of Wales (West Yorkshire) Regiment and Royal Defence Corps, discharged in August 1918 on disability (due to wounds). Thomas was serving with the Royal Garrison Artillery (58th Battery) and discharged with malaria. Harry had joined up with the West Riding Regiment in 1910 though I haven't been able to establish whether he served during war time. All three thankfully survived the war.
On 10th October 1925 William, now a spinning and twisting overlooker, married Grace Normington, a worsted warper at the Baptist Chapel in Cullingworth. I don't believe that they had any children.
William and Grace's marriage record
At the time of the 1939 Register William and Grace lived at 23 Parkside Terrace, still in Cullingworth. William was still working as an overlooker in the worsted trade, Grace was not in employment.
The 1939 Register
Both William and Grace lived at 23 Parkside Terrace until at least 1961 when William died. Grace died 22 years later in 1983.
Sources:
England and Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1935
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
UK, WW1 Service Medals and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
UK, Silver War Badge Records, 1914-1920
UK, British Army World War 1 Service Records, 1914-1920
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962
1939 England and Wales Register
England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
