VAD William Summers
Ward orderly
William, born on 26th January 1897, was one of seven children of Thomas and Fanny Summers.
In 1901 the family lived at 27 Prospect Place in Keighley. Thomas was working as a mechanic's labourer. Fanny's parents, John and Martha Hargreaves lived with them, and as well as William, the other children were Susannah (18, a worsted rover), Elijah (16, an apprentice iron planer), and Martha (8).
The Summers family on the 1901 census (father, Thomas, is on the previous page)
By 1911 the family lived at 4 Leaf Street. Thomas was working as a general labourer, Elijah an iron planer, Martha a stuff weaver and William was a bobbin setter. As the 1911 census requests information about children born to married women, it is documented here that of the seven children that Thomas and Fanny had, three had died by this time.
In May 1915 William began working as a ward orderly at Spencer Street Auxiliary Hospital and was still working there beyond the end of the war.
William married Lucy Sabey during the fourth quarter of 1920. At the time of the 1921 census they were living at 13 Rupert Street with her parents Arthur and Elizabeth Ann, as well as their five month old daughter Marian, she had been born on 10th January. William was working as a navvy at a waterworks construction.
In July 1923 William emigrated to the USA. Passenger records show he travelled with other people from Keighley but not his wife. Those records also show that William was 5 feet 4 inches tall, and had a tattoo on his right arm.
Passenger record showing William Summers along with several other people from Keighley
It was 1926 before Lucy made the journey to the USA, presumably with Marian. They settled in Chicago, Illinois and had another daughter, Mavis, on 30th July 1927.
William's naturalisation record
In 1940 William was working as a night watchman in a glass factory while Lucy was a cleaner, and in 1950 he was a mailman.
There are no further records until Lucy's death in 1972. She is buried at Acacia Park Cemetery and Mausoleum in Norwood Park, Chicago. William died at the age of 89 on 20th October 1986 and is buried at the same cemetery.
Sources:
England and Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
1921 England Census
Massachusetts, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1963
Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalisation Records, 1856-1991
1940 United States Federal Census
1950 United States Federal Census
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