Address: 114 Myddelton Road

His death certificate gives his date of birth and his baptismal record the place where his parents were living. It is assumed that he was born there.

Address: Palmeston Road, Wood Green, Middlesex

and they would have taken his older sister Gertie but who else was there is not known. The church in which William was baptised was built on the estate of Bowes Manor, home of Alderman Thomas Sidney (Lord Mayor of London), who financed practically the whole enterprise. The foundation stone was laid on 28th October 1872, and the building consecrated on 21st April 1874. It was a fine church, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott in the Gothic Revival style but fell into disrepair. It was closed on 29 September 1986 and demolished the following year and has ben replaced by a modern church.

He started teaching in a day continuation school where the pupils were 'rough' and tough to say the least. He then got a post at Westminster City School which was a grammar school where he remained until he retired in 1957. He taught physics and chemistry at both ordinary and advanced levels and mathematics at ordinary level.

Cause: Bronchopneumonia and Whipples Disease

Address: Semington, Wiltshire

William (Will) had suffered from Whipple's Disease for many years and it was well controlled. It is therefore surprising that it is mentioned as a contributory cause of death. He had been taken into St Martin's Hospital in Bath a few weeks previously suffering from pneumonia and from there was moved to St George's Hospital. Apart from deafness for which he needed a hearing aid he was in full possession of his faculties before entering hospital but whilst in hospital he became very confused. His stepson Jack who was very close to him visited him regularly and it became evident a few days before his death that he had 'given up'. The day before he died he would not talk and just sat and smiled at Jack occasionally shaking his head. He was in the day room which was full of old people sitting in chairs ranged round the room. Most appeared to be completely withdrawn. In the centre was a TV set blaring away with no one watching. It was an awful environment. Jack was informed of his death on the morning of the 11 April and had to break the news to his mother (Will's wife). She didn't seem surprised and simply said, "Earth is the poorer and heaven the richer for his passing." It was so heartfelt and moving that Jack had the words inscribed on his headstone.

Address: Trowbridge, Wiltshire

Jack had been informed of his death on the morning of the 11 April.

Address: Limpley Stoke, Wiltshire

William's stepson Jack who always thought of him as his father arranged with the Funeral Director for William to be dressed in his sports jacket with one of his shirts and a tie that he would have normally worn and for his glasses to be put on the end of his nose. He looked just as if he had fallen asleep in his armchair. Jack took his mother Alice to see her husband and make her final farewells at the undertaker's Chapel of Rest. The Chapel was dimly lit, and although the coffin was open a veil had been draped over it. Alice whose eyesight was very poor bent over to kiss her husband and encountered the veil which distressed her greatly. The undertaker removed the veil which allowed Alice to kiss her husband on the forehead saying as she did, “Oh Will, you're so cold.”

There were few mourners at the funeral service; as far as Jack can recollect it was just him, his wife Heather, his former wide Joan, Jack's son Richard and his wife Ruth, Jack's daughter Alison and a few of the staff from Waterhouse where William and Alice had lived for the last few years. When the coffin had been placed in the aisle (the church was so small it couldn't be taken up to the Chancel) Mum stepped out of her pew, held onto the coffin and kept saying, “Oh Will, Oh Will, …” and it was with some difficulty that Jack persuaded her to return to her seat. After the service Alison was rather scathing about her grandmother's conduct but Jack thinks it was genuine expression of her overwhelming grief. The service was taken by a Reader and Jack gave an address on the life of his (step)father. There is no record of the address Jack and can't remember any of the details but William had been a good husband, a great schoolmaster and a wonderful father to Jack, but he is certain that he owed his career to his (step)father's influence, and Jack probably touched on all these matters. After Jack's address the Reader said he had obviously been a fine man but Heather was absolutely furious and after the burial was over castigated Jack for saying what he did about his step father.

Alice Eleanor Dowell (1896-1987)

Address: Selsey, Sussex

The best man, Jack Richmond, was the bride's son and the two witnesses were related to the bride; Louisa Fippen was the bride's adopted sister and William Dowell was the bride's twin brother and he also gave his sister away. It is thought that the ceremony was also attended by the Groom's only sister Gertrude Arnold and possibly by the Groom's friends and next door neighbours Fred and Pim Wilson. There was small reception afterwards at the Selsey Hotel and the honeymoon was spent at the groom's bungalow, Greenwood, East Beach, Selsey.