William Latimer Parnell

1st Great Grandfather, 1880 - n/k

 

William Latimer was born in 1880 in Broughton, Salford.   His parents were William Parnell, a French Polisher and Eliza Ann Letitia Isabella Latimer.   The couple gave William his mother's maiden name, Latimer, as his second name.  

 

At age 21, William married Amelia May Oldham at Chorlton Register Office.    I wonder why they married at the Register Office rather than a Church?  

 

The couple had 10 children, including 2 sets of twins!

​

Throughout William's life he had various unskilled or semi-skilled jobs including beer bottler, labourer, wire drawer, machine man at wire works.

​

The 1911 Census showed William and Amelia, both aged 27, living at 1 Schofield Street, Salford with a 7 year old daughter, Amelia; 5-year-old twins Elizabeth and Hilda and 1 year old baby, Leonard.  In addition, Mary Oldham boarded with them, presumably Amelia's sister.  She was 17-years-old and working as an Assistant Manager at a Chemists.  

​

By 1921, William and Amelia, aged 36, had 10 children living at home, ages ranged from a 17 year old to two new-born twins.

 

The 1939 Register shows William, aged 59, and Amelia living at 8 Bradshaw Street, Salford.  William was working as a Machine Wiredrawer and Amelia as a Laundress.  The photograph above is of Bradshaw Street prior to demolition.   They had 4 children still living at home:  Leonard was single, 30 and working as a Machine Wiredrawer; Eric was single, 18 and working as a Coat Presser and Amelia Gertrude was 35, divorced and working as a Coat presser.  One record is closed.  

​

To read more about conditions in Salford read 'The Classic Slum' by Robert Roberts.   

 

Life must have been very hard with low incomes, poor housing and such a large family to feed and clothe.

 

To follow the story and find out about William's son, Stanley, click here.   

​