Part Five

Thomas and Mary Ann Worrall's children are the fifth generation. Their eldest child (my grandfather) was George, born in 1860. He was followed by Elizabeth, born in 1864, Thomas, born in 1867, Ellen, born in 1869, Daniel, born in 1873, Fanny, born in 1876, Mary Ann, born in 1879 and David, born in 1874. They were all born in Willenhall.


Stafford Street, Willenhall. From an old postcard.

 Daniel and Helen’s other two sons, Daniel and George, also married and had families. Their children were also members of the fifth generation of Worralls. Daniel and his wife Mary Ann had four children. Mary Ann, born in 1864, Daniel, born in 1866, James, born in 1869 and Arthur, born in 1875. They were all born in Willenhall. George married Jane and their first two children were born in Willenhall.

They were Anna M., born in 1876 and Louisa, born in 1878. Mary E. was born in 1879 in Birmingham; Daniel was born in 1881 in Leicester and May was born in 1889 in America USA.

In 1876 Daniel's wife, Helen, died. The following year, in 1877, Daniel died, and at the age of 85 in 1878, Mary, widow of John Worrall died. Thomas the second son then became head of the lock making business. In 1880 he is listed in Kelly's Directory as a Lock manufacturer. 
Before Daniel and Helen died, their sons, Thomas, Daniel and George would also have learned the art of lockmaking and increased the number of Worralls employed in the family business. By 1881 some of the fifth generation of Worralls were locksmiths. Thomas, born in 1837 and Mary Ann's two sons, George, born in 1860 and Thomas, born in 1867 were working as locksmiths, and so was Daniel, born in 1841 and Mary Ann’s son Daniel, born in 1866.


Willenhall Market Place. From an old postcard.

In 1881 John Worrall of the Crescent and born about 1839 was married to Phoebe and living at 6 Wednesfield Road with their large family:- John, born in 1866, Elizabeth, born in 1864, David, born in 1870, George, born in 1872, Mary born in 1876, Samuel, born in 1877 and Arthur, born in 1880. Father John and son John were Rim lock makers, so were they also working in the King Street business? 

By 1891 they had moved to 14 The Crescent, and father John and five of his sons were working as Locksmiths. I wonder if John Worrall's sons had also received their training in King Street, and when they moved to the Crescent, they were able to start lockmaking in a building in the back yard before their big venture. In 1894 Thomas Worrall, son of John and Mary, and head of the King Street firm, died. The following year, 1895, seems to have been turning point for some of the Worralls. It was the beginning of 'John Worrall and Sons' of the Crescent, but before 1901 John Worrall, the founder, had died, leaving his sons to carry on with the business. In 1901 living at numbers 7/8 were David Worrall, his wife, Lily and their daughter Lily. They also had a servant. David was a Rim lock manufacturer - an employer - working at home. Next door at number 9 was John Worrall's widow, Phoebe, with sons Samuel, Arthur, Harry and Willie. The sons were all locksmiths. None of the sons was named Ivor, so it could have been a nickname.

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