Biography of William Joyce

William was born on 29 June 1856 at Hutton, Great Burstead, Essex. Age 21 he married Emma Gay at St Matthews Church, Stepney, London on 2 April 1877. He was a milk carrier, and they lived at 69 Thomas Street, Stepney, Middlesex. Six of their children survived to adulthood.

In the 1881 census he's a general labourer, living at 10 Dora Street, Limehouse, London, with his wife Emma (25), daughters Emma Elizabeth (3) & Thirza Martha (1), and a lodger Sarah Brown (65, charwoman).

From 1885 to 1889 several of William's children were in & out of various workhouses, supposedly because of desertion by their father. In the 1891 census he's living at 31 South Grove, Mile End Old Town, Stepney with his wife, four daughters Emma (14), Martha (11), Eliza (9) & Caroline (Carrie) (7), and son William (2). Caroline's twin sister died at birth.

In the 1901 census he's a bricklayers labourer, living at 13 Florence Road, East Ham, London with his wife, two daughters Caroline (17) & Maud (8), and son William (12). By 1911 all the family except Caroline (27) have left home, and they are now at 18 Bendish Road, East Ham.

Later he lived with his daughter Maud & her husband James Lee at 12 Burnell Rise, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, until his death on 16 February 1933 at Chalkdell House, a workhouse/hospital in Hitchin.

See also: Family history, written by Roy Spurgeon in 1984