Josiah Wall was the seventh child of Thomas Wall & Mary ? christened July 6th, 1845 at Smethwick, Staffs.
In 1851 Josiah was living at home at Holyhead Rd, Wednesbury with his parents & brothers & sisters.
In 1861 he was still living at home at Cross St, Wednesbury & working as a forge-lad.
Josiah had married Sarah Ann L(e)ager in April-June, 1870 & in 1871 they were living as neighbours of his parents at 57 Cross St, Wednesbury. Josiah was working as a shingler at the iron works. Sarah was born c1849 in Scotland, the daughter of Jane & Richard Leager, an iron forgeman puddler.
In 1881 they were still at 57 Cross St & Josiah was still a shingler. They had 3 children – John Richard (9), Ernest George (7) & Amy (8 months).
By 1891 the family had moved to 33 Potters Lane, Wednesbury & Josiah was now a forgeman. Son John was a commercial clerk, Ernest was a railway wheel worker, Amy was a scholar, as was son ‘Richard’, aged 7.
Sons John Richard & Ernest George emigrated to the United States, sailing from Liverpool on the Teutonic & arriving in New York on March 1st, 1894. John was living in San Francisco at the time of the US 1920 census. He was single & working as a waiter in a restaurant. John died in California in 1952 after being knocked down by a train.
Sarah died December 16th, 1898, aged 49, & was buried at Wood Green Cemetery, Wednesbury.
In 1901 widower Josiah was still living at 33 Potters Lane & he was described as a shingler. Daughter Amy (20) was at home as was son Josiah, aged 17 (presumably Richard in last census), working as a brass filer.
Josiah died aged 58 at Potters Lane, Wednesbury & was buried on June 7th, 1904 at Wood Green Cemetery, . Probate was granted on June 23rd, 1904 at Lichfield to John Leager. His effects amounted to £378.16s.5d. Josiah had met with an accident while working at Monway Patent Shaft Works in April. A colleague Ebenezer Chase stated that while cutting some scrap iron a portion of it fell onto Josiah’s foot, fracturing his toes. After attending the doctor’s surgery Josiah progressed well for 10 days but then developed a clot in the vein of his injured leg which led to general blood poisoning resulting in his death. A verdict of accidental death was returned. (Walsall Observer, June 4th, 1904)
There is a record for daughter Amy emigrating to the United States in August 1906 arriving in Boston, Massachusetts. With her on the voyage on the steamer ‘Parisien’ was brother Josiah, brother Ernest George & his wife Grace.
The children of Josiah Wall & Sarah Ann L(e)ager were:
w.1.7.1 John Richard Wall born February 1st, 1872 & christened February 25th, 1872 at St Bartholomew’s,Wednesbury; died February 3rd, 1952 & buried at Corona Sunnyslope Cemetery, Corona, Riverside, California
w.1.7.2 Ernest George Wall born June 24th, & christened July 13th, 1873 at St Bartholomew’s, Wednesbury; died March 13th, 1942 in Miami, Florida
w.1.7.3 Amy Wall born July 28th, 1880 at Wednesbury; died December 1959 in Dade, Florida
w.1.7.4 Josiah Wall born January 28th, 1884 at Wednesbury; died June 1st, 1951 at Winslow, Navajo County, Arizona & buried at Desert View Cemetery