William Latimer Parnell

My 1st Great Grandfather, 1880 - n/k

William Latimer Parnell 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 ten children, including two sets of twins!

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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. Mary was 17-years-old and working as an Assistant Manager at a Chemists.  

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By 1921, William and Amelia, aged 36, had ten 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. They had four children still living at home: Leonard was single, aged 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.  

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Life must have been very hard with low incomes, poor housing and such a large family to feed and clothe. To read more about conditions in Salford do read 'The Classic Slum' by Robert Roberts.