Fourth Generation

12. William Thomas EMPSON was born on 11 February 1802 in Somers Town, London, England. He was baptized on 30 May 1802 in St. Pancras Old Church. He died on 14 March 1860 at the age of 58 in All Saints, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.¹⁴ William Thomas Empson was born 11 February 1802 and christened May 30, 1802, in Old Church, Saint Pancras, London, son of William and Ann (IGI per church records). This William Empson was from Somers Town, London, when he married Sophia -- abt. 1829 in Birmingham. William and Ann Willson were married in Old Church, Saint Pancras, September 14, 1800. An Ann Willson was christened April 16, 1770, in St. Philips, Birmingham, dau. of John and Ann Willson. A John Willson m. Hannah Smith December 6, 1769, at Appleby Magna,Leicester, where he was born 1744. There were a number of John Wilsons marrying an Ann in London 1767-69.

In the 1841 Census, William, 39, was a shoemaker living with his wife, Sophia, 32, (occupation, "gelt toy"), and son William, 5, Ann, 3, and Alfred, 6 mos., in the parish of St. George in Birmingham. All were born in Warwickshire.

In the 1851 Census, the family was living at 34 Court No. 3 Carver Street in District 23, Lady Wood, Birmingham, St. Paul's. William was 47, a shoemaker born in Somers Town, Middlesex, England. Sophia was a button maker, 42, born in Birmingham. They had 4 children: William, 15, a printer, Ann, 13, a button maker, Alfred, 10, and John, 7. A Thomas Cook, 48, a goldsmith, was living next door with his wife Ann, 46, and two sons, 11 and 8 (possibly the Thomas Cook that married Sarah Shaw Pennington?).

He died at the back of 64 Graham Street, All Saints District, Birmingham, of "syncopal asphyxia from fatty heart." Death was "immediate, by visitation of God." An inquest was held by the Coroner on March 15, 1860. He is listed as a cordwainer by profession.

He is listed as a cordwainer (leather worker) on the first marriage certificate and as a shoemaker on the second. A William Empson, born in London in 1830, occupation shoemaker, is listed at 16 Princess St., Stockton on Tees, Durham, England, in the 1881 Census.

Possible Empson connections:

A William Empson was born October 8, 1802,and christened October 31, 1802, at St. George the Martyr, Southwark, London, England, son of John and Eleanor Empson. John and Eleanor Obrijan were married January 27, 1801, at Old Church, Saint Pancras, London. Doublecheck for clues and evidence as to which William Empson was in our line. Lean toward William Thomas Empson because of middle name.

A William Empson was born December 20, 1775, and christened February 11, 1776, in Old Church, Saint Pancras, London, son of Fielding and Eleanor Empson. They also had a son, Fielding Empson, born September 20, 1777, and christened October 19, 1777, at Saint Mary, Saint Marylebone Road, London. They had a son, Thomas, born January 19, 1781, and christened February 11, 1781, at Saint Mary. They also had a son, John Fras. Empson, born October 5, 1782, and christened at Saint Mary April 25, 1783. Thomas married Sarah Lewis June 29, 1795, at St. Martins, Birmingham. Thomas and Sarah Empson had a son, John Nathaniel Empson born May 19, 1797, and christened June 25, 1797, at Saint Mary. They also had a son, John Fielding Empson, christened January 12, 1797, at Saint Phillips, Birmingham. They had a son, Thomas, christened at St. Phillips July 25, 1800. A Fielding Empson married Eleanor Taylor July 23, 1789, at Saint Anne Soho, Westminister, London. Another Fielding Empson married Elizabeth Call July 30, 1756, at St. Paul Covent Garden, Westminister, London. A John Empson married Sarah Harris February 14, 1827, at St Martin, Birmingham. A John Fielding Empson was born November 11, 1827, at Old Meeting House Meeing Street - Presbyterian, Birmingham, of John Fielding Empson and Sarah Harris.

A William Empson was born November 23,1829,and christened St James, Westminster, London on December 18, 1829,son of George and Julia Empson.

In the 1871 Census, there was a Benjamin Empson, 78, a widower, living at 46 St. George's Rd., St. Pancras, London. Next door was the familyof Henry Empson, 51, wife Sarah, 41, and sons William, 17, and Henry, 12. Benjamin, Henry, and William were all laborers. Both Benjamin and Henry were born in Norfolk, Benjamin in Casson and Henry in Stipet. Also living in St. Pancras, London at 6 Lt. Brook St, was George Empson, 29, carpenter, wife Jane, 24, and daughters Ella, 4, and Jane, 2. Sophia and William Thomas EMPSON were married about 1829 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.¹⁵

13. Sophia was born in 1809 in Somerstown, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She died in 1864 at the age of 55 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. In the 1861 Census, William, 25, a printer, was living with his mother, Sophia, 52, a button maker, sister Ann, 23, a button maker, and brother John, 17, a tool maker at 27 Graham Street in the All Saints Municipal Ward of Birmingham. They were all born in Birmingham. William had died in 1860.

In the 1851 Census, she was a button maker, living on Carver Street in Lady Wood, Birmingham, with her family.

Children were:

6	i.	William Thomas EMPSON.
	ii.	Ann Sophia EMPSON was born in 1838 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.¹⁵ She died on 16 August 1901 at the age of 63 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.¹⁶ She was buried in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Ann is on the gravestone with brother John and John's wife, Mary Ann. Ann was 63 when she died. But doublecheck records -- an Ann Sophia Empson died March Q, 1877 In the 1871 Census, Sophia Empson (sic), 33, apparently unmarried, was a nurse in the household of 74-year-old Henry Storemont, a retired schoolmaster who was bidridden. Sophia was "a nurse from the institution." Also in the household were Henry's sister, Selina Diana Stormont, 44, and Henry's son, Edward Gull Storemont, 11. They lived at 26 Elgin Park, Westbury on Treym, Gloucestershire. In the 1881 Census, Ann S. Empson (sic), 43, a draper, was living with her brother, John, 37, a toolmaker born in Birmingham, his wife, Mary A., 41, born in Birmingham, and two adopted daughters, Alice Humphreys, 12, and Lizzie Humphreys, 8, both born in Birmingham. They lived at 105 Camden Street, St. Paul's, Birmingham. In the 1891 Census, the household was still together, except that John was now a metal chain maker, Ann Sophia was living "on her own means," and they were all living at 49 Heathfield St., Handsworth, Staffordshire. In the 1901 Census, John had apparently died and Mary Ann was the head of the household. Alice and Lizzie Humphreys were the housekeepers. Ann Sophia was living with them. A cousin, Fanny Empson, 53, born in London, was living with them at 49 Heathfield Street. Fanny Empson, 23 in the 1871 Census (born 1848) was born in Bloomsbury, London, Middlesex, and was living at 24 Richmond Terrace, Clifton, Gloucestershire, in what was apparently some sort of hospital or institution. She was a nurse. In the 1891 Census, she was living at Alexandra Road, Birklands, Clevedon, Somersetshire in the household of William Lewis, 61, and Emma Lewis, 49, as sister-in-law.
	iii.	Alfred EMPSON was born in 1841 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He died before 1871 at the age of 30. In the 1861 Census, Alfred was 22, a brassfounder, living with his wife Sarah, also 22, and infant son Thomas Alfred, 1, at Ct. 8, 2 Coleshill Street, St. Peter's, Birmingham, with the Joseph Rigby family. He disappears from later censuses. His wife, Sarah, 31, same birth place, appears as a lodger at 2 Lester Street, Chelsea, London, in the 1871 Census, no occupation, no other Empsons at the address. She doesn't appear as Sarah Empson in later censuses.
	iv.	John EMPSON was born in June 1844 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He died on 20 April 1896 at the age of 51 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.¹⁷ He was buried in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He was 52 when he died. His wife was 88 when she died. In the 1871 Census, he, 27, and wife Mary Ann, 31, were living at Chester Road, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, where he was a toolmaker. For later censuses, see notes on Ann Sophia, his sister, who was living with the family. In the 1891 Census, he was a metal chain maker, lifing in Handsworth, Staffordshire with his wife, daughter Ann Sophia, and children Alice Humphrey and Lizzie Humphrey, adopted. They were all born in Birmingham. Ref. John's birth: 1844, June, 16 + 249. A John Empson died June quarter, 1896, West Bromwich, ref. 6b, 423.