Robert ‘Billy’ West (SMGP54)
There are three men named William West living in Sheringham who are around the same age, so the man in the photograph could be any one of them.
Billy West no.1:
Early life and marriage
William Robert West was born in 1877, the son of William Thomas West and Ann, née Bishop. Although he spent part of his working life as a fisherman, the 1901 census describes him as a fish merchant. At that time, he was boarding with Hannah Pigott in Salthouse. Also living there was Hannah’s granddaughter, Ann Rebecca Pigott, whom William married the following year.
Later records
Ann appears in later census returns in Salthouse, but William Robert remains difficult to trace. Both the 1911 and 1921 censuses record Ann as married rather than widowed, suggesting that William was still alive at those dates, although his whereabouts are unknown.
Billy West no.2:
Early life
William Thomas West was born in Sheringham in 1868, the son of William West, a fisherman, and his wife Elizabeth. In 1871, the family was living in Sheringham. By 1881, William was recorded as a “boy” aboard the Great Paragon, docked in Grimsby. The crew included three other men named West—William, George and Richard—along with several others born in Sheringham.
Marriage and family
William married Eleanor Mary Cox in 1894. Her father, Robert Cox, was also a fisherman in Sheringham. In 1901, William was recorded as a “deep-sea fisherman” and was staying with the Blythe family in Whitstable, where several other people born in Sheringham were also listed as visitors. At the same time, Eleanor and their son William were living in Sheringham with her sister and her family.
By 1911, Eleanor had joined William in Whitstable. Their son John Hedley was living with them, while their elder son, William, aged 14, remained in Sheringham, where he was working as an errand boy. William and Eleanor had three children in total, although one died in infancy.
Later years
In 1921, William, Eleanor and John were still living in Whitstable. By the time of Eleanor’s death in January 1937, they had returned to Sheringham and William had retired. The 1939 Register records him living with his son John. William died in 1944.
Billy West no.3:
Early life
William James West was born in 1873, the son of Christopher West and Elizabeth, née Bishop. In 1881, the family was living in Mill Road, Sheringham, with William and his siblings Eliza, Louisa, Harry, Frederick and Robert.
Marriage
William James does not appear in the 1891 census, which may indicate that he was at sea. In 1894, he married Blanche Bishop, daughter of John Henry Bishop. By 1901, the couple were living in Sheringham.
Later years
By 1911, William and Blanche were living at Oakley Villa, 75 Sydenham Road, Whitstable. They had no children. They remained there for some time before eventually returning to Sheringham, where William died in 1942. Blanche died in 1950.
