William James Hillier was born in 1876 in Woolverton, Somerset. William was the son of John Hillier and Emily Francis. William was one of two sons out of the eight children John and Emily had. John and Emily had no sons until William was born which may mean they just kept trying until they had a son. The six daughters were all born between 1861 and 1871, they were called Sarah, she was born in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, Maria was born in Medsted in Hampshire, Emily was born in Northington, Hampshire, Rose was born in Westmean, Hampshire, Harriett and Ellen were born in Woolverton, Somerset. The last child to be born was Joseph in 1879 and he was born in Lullington in Somerset.

 

       It is quite apparent that the family moved around a lot between the years of the children’s births. William married on the 3rd of April 1899 to Alice Louisa Elkins. Alice was born in 1878 in Trowbridge. William was 22 and Alice was 21 according to the marriage transcript when they got married. The couple were married at Saint James Church in Trowbridge. The marriage record confirms that Williams father was John and that Alice’s father was called Nehemiah Elkins. Alice’s mother was called Sarah.

 

       William and Alice had seven children but two children had died according to the 1911 census. The living children were called Bertie (which may have been short for Albert) was born in 1904, Vera was born the year after in 1905, then Charles in 1907. Florence was born in 1909 and finely Walter was born in 1910.

 

       William was recorded as being a labourer on a farm in 1901 and 1911. Living in Westwood at these times, there would not of been a great selection of occupations. It was and still is set in a rural area of Wiltshire. The main occupations around the area were farm labouring work or working down the local quarries or to travel to the towns of Trowbridge or Bradford on Avon to work in the woollen cloth factories. These were the main options for the families social status.

 

       William lost his wife, Alice in 1931. Three years later he followed in 1934.