William Stratford

William Stratford - Baptised 2 August 1818 at Marsworth Church, Buckinghamshire.

William was first noted as a boatman on 19 May 1847, with his name given as William Stratfield. William had married Ann Brooks on 10 May 1845 at Tring Parish Church, Herts. It is believed that the Brooks family was strongly associated with the canals in the Midlands, Ann Brooks had been born in Princethorpe, Warwickshire. It is quite possible that William was working on the canals before 1847.

William was illiterate so the variations in his surname are to be expected. By 31 October 1855 William give himself as a lockkeeper. From 1866 there are times where he used the surname Stratfull - the Stratfull spelling is the most frequent.

William and Ann Brooks had twelve children, variously recorded with the surnames Stratford, Stratfield and Stratfull. Just to add to the confusion, their first child George Brooks was illegitimate being born 6 months before they married. At birth, George's mothers surname was given, but William Stratfull was not recorded as his natural father, hence George Brooks is how we record him. It has been assumed that William was George's father; it seems to have been common practice for couples in those times not to marry until they either had started their family or had children underway.

William and Ann were living in the Marsworth and Wilstone areas from the time of their marriage. By 1871 they were given a living at the Lock House, Wilstone.

Ann died of an embolism of pulmonary artery and asphyxia aged 45 years on 27 May 1871 in the Infirmary at Aylesbury.

William then married Ann Menday on 23 September 1872 at Drayton Beauchamp Parish Church; she was his junior by about 24 years. Ann was the widow of Harley Hearn to whom she had been married for less than one year. Harley had died at age 22, with the cause of death being given as "a visitation of God".

William and Ann Menday had 5 children all were given the surname Stratfull. Their marriage was to last for just over 8 years before the death on 18 February 1881 of William Stratfull. He worked as a lockkeeper up to his death having spent over 33 years of his life on the canal. He died from acute peritonitis age 61 years.

Ann Stratfull must have had a very hard time bringing up their 5 small children, the last of which (Minnie Stratfull) was actually born after the death of her father. Ann remained a widow for another 45 years before dying at the age of 84, suffering from senile decay.

One of those small children was Frank Stratfull. Frank later lived in Watford, emigrated to Canada, returned during WWI as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and died in 1920 back in Canada (six years before his mother). The descendants of Frank now thrive in California, USA.