William Stephenson was the first child of John Stephenson & Sarah Robinson born at Ruswarp & christened September 22nd, 1816 at Whitby, Yorks.
William married Ann Taylor, the daughter of James & Maria Taylor, who was born at Sandsend & christened May 15th 1818 in Lythe. They were married in July-September 1850 at Whitby.
In 1851 William & Ann were living at Sandsend Village, Lythe & William was a butcher.
In 1861 William was still a butcher & he & Ann continued to live at Sandsend Village. They had 4 children at home – Maria (8), Hannah (6), William (2) & Mary (under 1 month). With them at the time of the census was William’s widowed mother Sarah, aged 72. Also with them was nephew Thomas Harland (13), a butcher’s boy, the son of William’s sister Mary who had married John Harland. There was also a lodger John Webster, a 91 year old widower of independent means. They also had a nurse, Ruth Porritt, aged 54. Interestingly Ruth Porritt, (occupation school mistress) was living at Mickleby in the 1851 census as a neighbour of Mary & John Harland.
In 1871 William & Ann were still living at Sandsend Village & William continued to be a butcher. At home were Maria, a dressmaker, Hannah, William & Mary. With them at the time of the census was an unmarried relative Ann Taylor, an 83 year old annuitant.
By 1881 William & Ann had moved to Cottage House, Lythe, & William was still a butcher at the age of 64. Daughters Hannah & Mary were still at home, as was son William, a butcher, now married to Dinah Caroline Wick (26), who was born in Wells, Norfolk. Son William carried on in the butcher’s trade after the death of his father & was listed in Kelly’s Directory of North & East Ridings of Yorks 1893 as a butcher of Sandsend.
Ann died April-June 1881, aged 62, the death being registered at Whitby.
In 1891 widowed William was still a butcher living at Sandsend Village with his daughter Hannah, who was his housekeeper.
William died in April-June 1891, aged 74, the death being registered at Whitby.
The children of William Stephenson & Ann Taylor were:
s.7.1.1 Maria Stephenson born Jan-March 1853 at Whitby
s.7.1.2 Hannah Stephenson born July-September 1854 at Whitby
s.7.1.3 William Stephenson born c1855 at Lythe
s.7.1.4 Mary Stephenson born 1861 at Sandsend