William Henry Chaplain Pyatt

William Henry Chaplain was the son of John William and Mary Ann Pyatt (née Chaplain).

His parents were married in Birmingham in 1881 and had five children, two of whom died in infancy or early childhood. Their surviving children were: William Henry Chaplain b. Birmingham 1883, and John Robert Terry b. 1884 and Mary (or May) Gladys b. 1894 who were born in Nottingham. John was baptised at Nottingham St Mary in July 1884, parents' address 21 Heathcote Street, and Mary was baptised at Nottingham St John the Baptist in February 1894, parents' address 17 Carrington Street.

John and Mary Pyatt, both milliners, and their two sons were living at 17 Carrington Street in 1891. However, by 1901 they had moved to 50 Lenton Boulevard; John and his eldest son were fancy drapers, John an auctioneer's clerk and May was school age.

William Henry Chaplain married Jane Lydia Duff Thomson on 2 August 1905 at St John the Baptist Church, Nottingham. Their son, Charles William Thomson Pyatt, was born in Nottingham on 4 January 1908.

By 1911, William (28), a travelling draper, was living at 259 Bentley Road, Doncaster, with his wife and their son.

William's mother, Mary Ann Pyatt (54), a milliner, was living with her two youngest children, John, an auctioneer, and May (no occupation) at 19 Lister Gate, Nottingham. Her husband, a fancy draper and milliner, was recorded staying at the Strand Palace Hotel, London; he has not been traced after that date and it appears that he and his wife were already estranged when their eldest son died in 1918.

William Henry's widow, Jane Lydia, completed a form for the Army in July 1919 listing her late husband's surviving blood relatives: She and her son were living at 151 St Sepulchre Street, Doncaster. Father address unknown. Mother Mary Ann Pratt and his two siblings, John and May, were living at 15 Gill Street Nottingham.

Jane Lydia and her son were still living on St Sepulchre Street in 1921, she was a shopkeeper/draper and employed a housekeeper. Jane died on 1 November 1924; she was then living at 5 Victoria Crescent, Doncaster. She was buried in Nottinghan on 4 November.

Her son, William Chaplain Thomson (19), emigrated to Australia on 15 November 1927, leaving the UK onboard SS Moreton Bay (Australian Commonwealth Line) for Melbourne. His last UK address was 4 Radcliffe Road, West Bridgford. William settled in Australia and probably served with the Australian Forces in WW2. He died in July 2004 and was buried in Burwood Cemetery, Burwood City of Whitehorse, Victoria; his wife, Mary Letitia Pyatt, had predeceased him (1992).

William's mother and his unmarried sister, both milliners on their own account, were still living at 15 Gill Street in 1921. Mary Ann died in July 1940.