William Bernard & Frances Honer (Witts) Taylor

A Memory of Sudbury.

William was born in 1812 in England and, at the time od his marriage, was a parishioner of Great Conard, Suffolk. He married Frances Honer Witts on the 26th November 1834 in St Peter's in the Parish of Sudbury, Suffolk, with the curate, H.W. Wilkinson, performing the ceremony.  Frances was a parishioner of Sudbury, William was of the Parish of Great Conard.  Witnessess for the ceremony were John Taylor and Thomas Goldsmith. William & Frances had at least seven children and those surviving in 1853 were Edwin (c1836) and his younger siblings, Fanny, Charles Everett, Ellen Elizabeth, Fredrick and Septimus.  William & Frances brought their family to the colony of Port Phillip in 1852.  William was afarmer and merchant at Little Brighton but suffered the death of his wife in early 1853.  He became depressed and this exacerbated his tendency to drown his sorrows in alcohol.  In late June he succumbed to the effects of alcohol and an inquest was made into his death.  William had taken one of his daughters into town on the omnibus, and had been accompanied by the publican, Mr Albert Keys.  William returned on the omnibus but was suffering severly from the effects of alcohol that he fell on the floor of the bus and was unable to rise.  Edwin, his eldest son, had been waiting for his father's return and tried to rouse him but William replied, "Let me lie".  Edwin left his father there for about 1/4 of an hour but, at the suggestion of Mr Keys, Edwin managed to get William out of the cold weather, into the bar and by the fire.  William then stated that he intended to stay in the public house all night but, after much persuasion, Edwin convinced his father tp go home.  After a nobbler of brandy, and at 1/2 past 8 o'clock, William set out into the cold and wet night.  William fell down several times on the walk home and finally he couldn't rise, and stated that "he must lie there".  Edwin stayed out in the cold and wet night until about 4 o'clock but then, exhausted by the vigil, he went to his bed.  He returned to his father at about 10 o'clock in the following morning and found William in an insensible state.  Edwin went for a dray but, on coming back, he found William quite dead.  Williams body was taken home in the dray.  William had "been much addicted to drinking" and had "been subjected to fits, especially after drinking".  As all of his children were under age to receive their inheritance, William's first cousin, William Sparrow, applied to be the administrator of the estate of 200 pound.  James Kellock, a farmer, and David Jones agreed to stand as bondsmen for the estate.

Is there any Taylors or Witts still living in the area, as I am doing a family tree and would be very interested in contacting them.

---

---