William Henry JAMES b. Aug 1864 Ryde, Hampshire, England d. Bef 1974: Our Family History

1864 - Bef 1974 (< 109 years)

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Name	William Henry JAMES
Birth	Aug 1864	Ryde, Hampshire, England [1]
Baptism	2 Oct 1864	Ryde, Hampshire, England [2]
Gender	Male
_MILT	Between 1880 and 1889 [3]
	British Army: 40th Brigade & 2nd Hampshire Regiment
Death	Bef 1974
Person ID	I843	Furmedge
Last Modified	25 Jun 2025

Family	Alice FURMIDGE, b. 1868, Isle of Wight, England d. 18 Nov 1905, Ryde, Hampshire, England (Age 37 years)
Marriage	6 Apr 1890	Ryde, Hampshire, England [4]
Family ID	F373	Group Sheet \| Family Chart
Last Modified	25 Jun 2025

Event Map

	Birth - Aug 1864 - Ryde, Hampshire, England
	Baptism - 2 Oct 1864 - Ryde, Hampshire, England
	Marriage - 6 Apr 1890 - Ryde, Hampshire, England

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Notes

William James enlisted in the British Army’s 40th Brigade on 19th February 1880 at Gosport, Hampshire aged 15 years and 6 months. His service number was 1590. He is enumerated in his parents’ household in the 1881 England census, his occupation recorded as “Drummer in the Army” (9, Newport Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight: Class: RG11, Piece: 1178, Folio: 50, Page: 51). He transferred to the 2nd Hampshire Regiment in January 1882 and served in the East Indies from 15 January 1882 to 09 May 1885. Overall his character was noted as “bad”. There are several instances where he was tried and imprisoned (42 days 30 Aug 1882 to 10 Oct 1882; 84 days 04 Nov 1882 to 26 Jan 1883; 84 days 20 Apr 1886 to 12 July 1886; 42 days 15 Dec 1887 to 22 Jan 1888) although it is unclear what for. In January 1889 a medical assessment found that he had “valvular disease of the heart” and he was discharged from the army on 12 March 1889. (The National Archives: WO 97/3144/158).

On his 1890 marriage certificate William’s occupation is recorded as “hawker” and his residence is his parents’ address (10, Newport Street, Ryde). He is neither enumerated with his wife nor his parents in the 1891 England census. Note that William James and Alice Furmidge were also the witnesses to Alice’s sister Caroline’s marriage on 02 April 1890.

In 1889, a William James, age 25 (1863-1864), hawker, was brought before the General Quarter Sessions at Winchester, Hampshire. The record indicates that he had previously been tried at Ryde Borough Sessions for stealing a pair of boots and sentenced to 14 days at Portsmouth. On this occasion he had “unlawfully, by false pretence, obtained from Frederick James Gape one ham, with intent to cheat and defraud, at St Helen’s, on 14th Oct 1889”. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 weeks imprisonment (The National Archives: HO 140 / 112 & HO 27 / 217 / 31). A further court record and newspaper article suggests that a William James living in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, was charged in 1891 with pawning a rented (but un-paid for) sewing machine. The article states that he was in the Union Workhouse from 02 April 1891 suffering from “delirium tremens” (alcohol withdrawal induced delirium). His age is not stated only that he alleged to be a pensioner working at the gas works. The details, however, align with a William James, age 27 (1863-1864) born at Ryde, enumerated at the Isle of Wight Union Workhouse in the 1891 England census (taken 05 April), although the census records his occupation at “formerly cooper”. (The National Archives: HO 27 / 220 / 38; Isle of Wight County Press published 18 April 1891; 1891 England Census: RG12 / 889 / 86 / 12). It cannot be proved that this William James is the same man as the husband of Alice Furmidge however circumstantially it seems possible.

No further record of William Henry James has been found.

Sources

[S2] England & Wales, GRO Birth Index, (Name: General Register Office;), William Henry James, Registered: Jul-Sep 1864, District: Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Vol: 2B, Page: 503.
[S418] Wesleyan Methodist (Ryde Circuit, Isle of Wight), Parish Register, William Henry James, Baptism Register Entry, 1864, MDR/2, Page: 32; digital image accessed on www.ancestry.co.uk; original data: Newport Methodist Church.
[S115] British Army Service Records, William James: War Office, Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers Service Documents: WO 97 / 3144 / 158; Digital copies accessed on www.findmypast.co.uk.
[S87] England & Wales, Marriage Certificate, Alice Furmidge, Reference: Registered: Apr-Jun 1890, District: Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Vol: 2B, Page: 1116.