Thank you to Lenka Cathersides for the following research.
William Harold Stonestreet Tickner was born on the 28th of June 1897 in Dorking, Surrey to bricklayer Ethelbert and dressmaker Ada Harriett (nee Stonestreet). He was baptised on the 12th of September 1897 at St Martin’s Dorking. At the time of the baptism the family lived at 69 Dene Street, Dorking and Ethelbert was working as a bricklayer.
On the 22nd of March 1901 bricklayer Ethelbert died in an accident. He was employed by Messrs. Holt and Son, on a new house at Oakridge, Tower Hill and was told by the foreman to proceed to the other end of the building. Tickner took a short cut through the half completed building and when crossing along an iron girder, he hit his head on a batten and fell 20 feet below. He died instantaneously. He worked for the company for 6 months. Ethelbert was buried on the 28th of March 1901 at Dorking Cemetery. He left £10 in probate.
At the time of the 1901 Census, the widowed Ada lived at 6 Harrow Road, Dorking. The household further comprised of her children: Ada, Bertie, William and Cecil. Ada’s brother in law, house painter, William and his wife restaurant waitress Alice also lived in the house.
William was admitted into the Dorking British School on the 14th of October 1902. At the time of his admission the family lived at 31 Horsham Road, Dorking. He left the school on the 9th of September 1911.
At the time of the 1911 Census, the family lived at 20 Ansell Road, Dorking. The household comprised of Ada and her children: servant Ada, hotel waiter Bertie, William, Cecil and Dorothy Violet. The household was also visited by servant Gerty May Elson. Ada stated that she had given birth to five children of whom were all alive. The accommodation had five rooms.
William Tickner enlisted in 1915 in Guildford, Surrey into the 2nd/4th Battalion of the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, with a regimental number T/206625. He was a Private with regimental number T/4010. At the time of his enlistment he lived at 20 Ansell Road and was employed by Messrs. Coatman.
William disembarked on the 12th of November 1915 in the Balkan Theatre of War.
William Tickner died of wounds on the 2nd of August 1918 at the No. 63 Casualty Clearing Station in France. He was in France only for a few weeks being transferred from Palestine where he had been for three and a half years. He was buried at the Senlis French National Cemetery in France, with a grave reference number of II.E.86.
He received the British War and Victory medals and the 1915 Star.
William’s mother Ada received £18, 18s and 7d on the 20th of December 1918 and a further £14 and 10s on the 12th of January 1920 in Soldier’s Effects. William also left £360, 16s and 2d in probate.
William’s older brother Pte Ethelbert “Bertie” Tickner died of flu on the 4th of November 1918 at the family home 20 Ansell Road, Dorking.
Ada Tickner died on the 17th of December 1921. She was buried on the 20th of December 1921 at St Martin’s, Dorking. At the time of her death she lived at 20 Ansell Road.
Tickner Family History
William’s father Ethelbert was born in the 1st quarter of 1865 in Dorking to gardener William, born about 1836 in Cranleigh, Surrey and Henrietta, born about 1842 in Dorking. His mother Ada was born about 1864 in Ryde, Isle of Wight to chimney sweep James, born about 1828 in Dorking and Eliza, born about 1829 in London. Ada was baptised on the 29th of May 1864 at St Thomas’, Ryde.
On the 10th of July 1895 Ada’s mother Eliza died in an accident. She was severely burned while tripping on stairs carrying a lamp and died soon after of syncope.
Ethelbert married Ada Harriet Stonestreet, on the 14th of April 1888 at Christchurch, Southwark,. Ethelbert was working as a bricklayer and lived at 10 Charlotte Street, London and Ada at 185 Blackfriars Road, London.
William Harold had three full siblings: Ada A. born about 1888; Ethelbert born on 8th of May 1889; and Cecil Joseph born about 1900. He had also a half sister Dorothy Violet Tickner born about 1903. They were all born in Dorking.
At the time of the 1891 Census, bricklayer Ethelbert lived at 1 Dene Street Gardens, Dorking. The household further comprised of his wife Ada and their children Ada and Bertie.
| Born | Dorking, Surrey | |
| Lived | Dorking, Surrey | |
| Son of | Ethelbert and Ada Tickner of 20 Ansell Road, Dorking | |
| Brother of | Ethelbert “Bertie” James Tickner | |
| Regiment | 2nd/4th Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment | |
| Number | T/206625 | |
| Date of Death | 2nd August 1918 | |
| Place of Death | Casualty Clearing Station 63, Senlis, France | |
| Cause of Death | Died of wounds | |
| Age | 22 | |
| Cemetery | Senlis French National Cemetery, France |
