occupation

College servant, boot man,
hotel porter

dates

Born: 1858, King Street, Oxford

Married: 12 Nov 1885, Sarah Ann ROBBINS

Died: 22 Sept 1904, age 46

residence

King Street, Oxford; Golden Cross Hotel, Oxford; 5 Cornmarket Street, Oxford; Leckford Place, Oxford

submitted by

Ann RYDER (great-great-niece)

related face

Alfred HIGGINS (nephew)

Mary Ann TAGG (mother)

Florence May HIGGINS (niece)

Elizabeth Mary HIGGINS (niece)

Annie Sarah HIGGINS (niece)

Frederick SAMMONS (father)

Henry SAMMONS (brother)

Ann Sarah NOYES (half-sister)

Elizabeth Lavina NOYES (half-sister)

Charles Alfred HIGGINS (nephew)

Ann WALE (grandmother)

Henry James HIGGINS (nephew)

Background information

William Thomas was the first son of Frederick and Mary Ann SAMMONS. His father was a sexton and cordwainer. They lived at 3 King Street, Oxford. He was baptised Sunday 26 Sept 1858, at St Peter in the East.

This was the second marriage for both Frederick and Mary Ann. Frederick had nine children by his first marriage and Mary had six from hers. They went on to have one more son, Henry, who was baptised Wednesday 24 Oct 1860.

William lived with his parents until his marriage in Horton-cum-Studley on 12 Oct 1885. He was age 24, a bachelor, and was working as a college servant. His wife was Sarah Ann ROBBINS, age 30 and was a spinster (she made her mark). She was the daughter of George (deceased) who was a labourer. The witnesses were James ROBBINS, her brother, and Annie BLAKE who lived in the next street.

In 1881 Sarah was living at home in Oxford Road, Horton-cum-Studley with her father George (Junior), mother Kezia, and brother’s James (age 18) and William (age 13). The house was next but one to The King’s Arms, while on the other side of The King’s Arms lived her grandfather and grandmother, George (Senior) and Hannah ROBBINS.

William’s father, Frederick was accidentally killed at St Clements. The funeral took place on 7 May 1886 at St Peters in the East. He was 74 years old.

On the night of the 1891 census, William was working as a boot man at the Golden Cross Hotel for Miriam Maud FRANKLIN, wife of the late Henry William FRANKLIN. The hotel was previously run by her mother-in-law Emma FRANKLIN. The Hotel was on the corner of Cornmarket Street, at the crossroads of Queen’s Street, the High Street, St Aldate’s Street, and Carfax in Oxford.

Sarah was at home on her own on the night of the census at 16 George St, St Clements, just a few doors from her sister-in-law.

By 1901, William was age 41 and was a hotel porter, living with his sister at Leckford Place Oxford. He was married but it is not clear what happened to his wife.

William Thomas died Thursday 22 Sept 1904, age 46, at 2 Leckford Place. The funeral was at St Peter in the East on Tuesday 27 Sept.