William Smith (junior) was born in Towersey, Buckinghamshire and baptised on 25 December 1780 to parents William Smith (1752-1816) and Elizabeth Harris (1753-1835). William and Elizabeth had married in Towersey on 3 November 1776. William appeared to be an only child.
William’s father William Smith was buried at Towersey on 4 December 1816 aged 64. His mother Elizabeth Smith was buried on 9 May 1835 at Towersey aged 82 years.
William junior was working as a servant in 1798 (Buckinghamshire Posse Comitatas) in Towersey.
Chinnor, Oxfordshire
At the age of 22 years William married Sarah West on 1 January 1802 at Chinnor, Oxfordshire.
Sarah West was baptised at Bledlow on 28 April 1776, and was aged 26 at the time of her marriage.
She was the daughter of James West and Esther Lutt, who had married on 30 July 1759 at Bledlow.
James and Esther West had 7 children – Jane 1760-1760, Thomas 1761, Rebecca 1763-1769, Jenny 1766, Esther 1769, James 1772 and Sarah in 1776.
William and Sarah Smith had four children who were all baptised at Towersey –
- James b 1803
- George b 1806 married Sarah Emma Wheeler. 6 children.
- Thomas b 1810
- Susannah b 1812 d 1865 Thame. Married John Wilks. 2 children.
By 1841 William was working as an agricultural labourer at Towersey by the time of the first census. His wife Sarah was included with him. They were both aged around 60 years.
In the 1851 census for Towersey William, an agricultural labourer and his wife Sarah are listed as aged 70.
Sarah Smith was buried at Towersey on 14 June 1856, aged 80 years.
By the 1861 census William is listed as an agricultural labourer, aged 80, and a widower. He was also marked as a pauper, so likely living off the parish. He is living in Upper Green, Towersey.
William lived until the age of 86 years and was buried at Towersey on 19 June 1867.
