William George Stephenson was the first child of Thomas Stephenson & Elizabeth Gibson born June 9th, 1844 & christened June 17th, 1844 at Stokesley, Yorks.
In 1851 William was living with his parents, brother & sister at Front St, Stokesley, where his father was a shoemaker.
In 1861 the family was living at North Side, Stokesley & William was now a railway clerk. William’s 4 brothers & a sister were also at home.
William married Margaret Jean/Jane Gaudie in Jan-March 1868 at Stockton, Co Durham. Margaret was christened on January 14th, 1844 at Stockton, the daughter of Margaret & George Gaudie, a master mariner.
In 1871 William & Margaret were living at Frank Place, Preston, North Shields, Northumberland & William was now a railway accountant. They had a son George G (2) & a daughter Gertrude (6 months). With them was Margaret’s widowed mother Margaret Gaudie, aged 61.
By 1881 they had moved to 64 Holgate Rd, St Mary, Bishopshill Junior, York. William was now an auditor for the North Eastern Railway. At home were children George Gaudie, Gertrude, Ethel (8) & Bertha (3). They had a 42 year old visitor, James Walters, a coal & coke merchant.
William & Margaret were found at Holgate Crescent, York in 1891 & William was still a railway auditor. Son George, a bankers’ clerk, was living at home as were Bertha & Muriel (9). Mother-in-law Margaret Gaudie, aged 81, was again with them at the time of the census. They had a domestic servant. Daughter Ethel had left home to become a teacher at a private boarding school for girls teaching English & languages in Altrincham, Cheshire. The Principal of the school at Belgrave House, Downs, Altrincham was Mary Sharp.
Margaret died on October 19th, 1891, aged 47, at St Michael’s House, Malton.
In July 1895 the two oldest daughters, Gertrude & Ethel were married at York in a double wedding. Gertrude married Ernest Russell, a brewer & Ethel married his older brother Arthur Llewellyn Russell, a solicitor. Both couples came to live in Malton.
In 1901 widowed William was living at St Pauls Square, York & continued to be an auditor for the North Eastern Railway. Daughters Bertha & Muriel were at home & William had a housekeeper & general servant.
At the time of the 1911 census William was boarding at 54 Walker Rd, Harrogate at the home of Jane & Thomas Steel, a male nurse. William was described as a retired railway official.
William died on June 11th, 1911, aged 67, at a nursing home in Harrogate. His death announcement stated that he was a late district passenger agent for the North-Eastern Railway, Darlington. He was buried on June 14th, 1911 at Malton Cemetery after a service at St Michael’s Church. An obituary in the Darlington & Stockton Times, Ripon & Richmond Chronicle stated that William began to suffer poor health during the previous year. After a trip to Margate his health improved somewhat, but this was not maintained & he retired & left for Harrogate before Christmas where he died after suffering a stroke. It was noted that William had had a long association with the railway, beginning at the North Yorkshire & Cleveland Railway as a clerk at Stokesley station at the aage of 15. He later moved to Stockton & then to West Hartlepool working as a loading clerk, before Hartlepool railway became absorbed into the North-Eastern Railway. At this time he was transferred to the Newcastle audit office. In 1873 he was appointed station auditor in the York district, a post he occupied for nearly 30 years. He was of a genial & kindly disposition & endeared himself to all who came in contact with him. There was a large attendance at his funeral including many members of the railway. William appointed his son George, sons-in-law Ernest Russell & Arthur L Russell executors of his estate which was valued at £1,452.7s.4d.
The children of William George Stephenson & Margaret Jean/Jane Gaudie were:
s.4.1.1.1 George Gaudie Stephenson born December 29th, 1869 at North Shields,
Northumberland; died October 26th, December 1946 at Harrogate, W. Yorks
s.4.1.1.2 Gertrude Stephenson born Jan-March 1871 at North Shields, Northumberland; died November 3rd, 1936 at The Brae, Malton, N.Yorks
s.4.1.1.3 Ethel Stephenson born Oct-December 1872 at North Shields, Northumberland; died March 30th, 1941 at The Mount, Malton, Yorks
s.4.1.1.4 Bertha Stephenson christened May 16th, 1877 at St John, Darlington,
Co Durham; died July 9th 1964 at Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford
s.4.1.1.5 Muriel Stephenson born Oct-December 1881 at York; died Oct-December 1957 in Surrey