William Horton was the seventh child of William Horton & Elizabeth Hale christened October 19th, 1870 at Lower Gornall, Sedgley, Staffs.
In 1881 William was living with his brothers & sisters & mother & father at Graveyard, Lower Gornall, Sedgley.
William married Elizabeth Jones in Jan-March 1891 at Dudley Register Office, Staffs. Elizabeth was christened July 8th, 1868 at Lower Gornall, Staffs, the daughter of Hannah & Absalom Jones, a carter.
At the time of the 1891 census Elizabeth was visiting Sarah & Henry Middleton, a coal miner. They were living at 23 Church St, Lower Gornall in the same house as Elizabeth’s parents. Elizabeth was a tailoress & with her was a 1 year old daughter Ethel Horton. It appears that Elizabeth had given birth to her daughter, Ethel Jones, in 1889 prior to her marriage. The whereabouts of William at the time of the census remains uncertain.
In 1901 William & Elizabeth (Lizzie) were living at 11 Garden Walk, Lower Gornall with children Ethel, Eunice (10), Enoch (8), Benjaman (6), Mary (3) & Sarah A (1). William was a stone quarryman. Son Enoch was recorded attending Red Hall School, Zoar Road, Gornall in 1901. Benjamin attended the same school in 1903, William in 1908 & Absalom in 1911. When Absalom left school in 1919 he was recorded as having reached full age during a long illness. Daughter Violet was the only girl found recorded at the school which she attended from 1913-1916.
By 1911 William had become a waggoner for a hay & straw dealer & he & Elizabeth were living at 13 Kettle's Bank Rd, Lower Gornall, Dudley. There were 9 children at home – Ethel Jane Horton (22), & Eunice May, both labourers at the fire brick factory, Enoch, a horse driver at the coal miner, Benjamin, a ‘cager' at the coal mine, Mary, Sarah Annie, William Henry (8), Absalom (5) & Violet H Jane (2). It must have been a very full house as they only had 5 rooms in total!
Daughter Sarah Annie married Alfred F Cox in 1917 in Stourbridge. In 1939 they & their family were living in Dudley where Alfred was an ironworker.
Son Enoch, a coal miner, married Mary Ann Vanes in 1918 in Dudley. In 1939 they & their family were living in Tansey Green, Brierley Hill, Staffs.
Son Benjamin married May Hartshorn in 1921 in Dudley. In 1939 they & their family were living at Tipton, Staffs where Benjamin was a general labourer.
Son William, a colliery pikesman, married Mary Ann Askins in 1927 in Dudley & in 1939 they & their family were living in Brierly Hill.
Daughter Violet married Leonard A Small in 1928 in Dudley & in 1939 they & their family were living Willenhall where Leonard was a motor transport driver.
Son Absalom married Violet May Swift in 1931 in Dudley. In 1939 Absalom & his family were living in Coseley where he was a brick setter.
William had died before 1939 & the 1939 register shows widowed Elizabeth living with her daughter Eunice May & husband Thomas Bull who had married in 1914. They were living at 26 Red Hall Rd, Sedgley & Eunice was a press worker. Eunice had an incapacitated daughter, Ethel Irene M, aged 24, & also with them was Elizabeth’s son Harold Thomas Horton, a boiler fireman. Son Enoch & his wife Mary Ann (nee Vanes) were living at 9 Tansey Green, Brierley Hill in 1939 where Enoch was a coal miner. With them was 21 year old daughter Ethel Celia, a cotton weaver.
Son Harold Thomas (St Claire) married Florence Marsh (1914-1999) in 1941 in Rowley Regis.
The children of William Horton & Elizabeth Jones were:
h.1.4.3.7.1 Eunice May Horton christened August 19th, 1891 at Lower Gornall,
Staffs; died Jan-March 1977 in South Staffordshire
h.1.4.3.7.2 Enoch Horton born February 16th, 1893 & christened March 8th, 1893 at Lower Gornall, Staffs; died Jan-March 1964 in Rowley Regis, Staffs
h.1.4.3.7.3 Benjamin Horton born March 17th, 1895 at Checkill, Kinver, Staffs & christened April 14th, 1895 at Lower Gornall; died Oct-December 1965 in Dudley
h.1.4.3.7.4 Gertrude Mary Horton born 1897 at Checkill, Kinver, Staffs & christened September 5th, 1897 at Lower Gornall
h.1.4.3.7.5 Sarah Annie Verina Horton born June 11th,1899 & christened July 2nd, 1899 at Lower Gornall, Staffs; died December 1981 at Dudley
h.1.4.3.7.6 William Henry Horton born October 10th, 1903 at Lower Gornall, Staffs; died April-June 1990 at Stourbridge
h.1.4.3.7.7 Absalom Horton born February 9th, 1906 at Lower Gornall, Staffs; died Oct-December 1981 at Dudley, West Midlands
h.1.4.3.7.8 Violet Hannah Jane Horton born December 10th, 1908 at Lower Gornall, Staffs; died Oct-December 1999 in Wolverhampton
h.1.4.3.7.9 Harold Thomas Horton born April 18th, 1912 at Lower Gornall, Staffs; died May 12th, 2007 at Upper Gornal & buried May 30th, 2007