William Gee

  General Notes:

Relationship to direct line unproven.

Possibly christened Thornton Leicestershire 6 Dec 1818 (father John Gee, mother Sara) Source: IGI.

1871 census: Listed as retired pork butcher. Living with wife Anne (aged 57) and unmarried daughters Eliza (16) and Lucy (10, described as scholar). Eliza and Lucy born in Nottingham. Living at 21 Great Alfred Street South (3 doors from William, direct line).

Joseph Gee (23) lived alone at 23 Great Alfred Street South, described as butcher and born in Sneinton. Another William Gee (27) lived at 27 Great Alfred Street South. Described as grocer from Sneinton. Lived with wife Priscilla (30) from Nottingham, and daughter Ada E. Relationship to these Gees unknown.

1881 census: Listed as pork butcher, married to Ann, and living at 15 Hockley. Lucy listed as Lucy Ann. Eliza not living at home, but Sarah Jane was.

1891 census: Listed as retired pork butcher and widower, living at 247 Radford Road next to the Old General. Living with daughters Eliza ummarried pork butcher aged 35 and Lucy aged 31 and grand-daughter Sarah Jane Bucknall aged 20 (pork butcher's assistant).

Some unanswered questions:

1. It cannot be proved (yet) that William Gee b.1818 is the father of direct line William Gee b.1847, but since they lived three houses apart on Alfred Street in 1871, and very close in 1891 (i.e. one living next to Old General and the other at 15 Bobbers Mill Road), it seems a reasonable supposition. T Gee noted that there were lots of Gees in Leicester (Source: BME Gee tapes).

2. Why is William b.1818 described as retired pork butcher in 1871, pork butcher in 1881, and retired again in 1891? GGG used to tell the story of one relative who was bad in business (alcoholic, I think), who lived close to Jesse Boot (the founder of Boots the Chemist). One Gee relative ran errands for Boot, and the apocryphal story told many times (alas not recorded on tape) was that Jesse Boot invited him to join the business, but he declined (and so left we descendants to miss out on the corporate billions.....). Is William Gee b.1818 that failed businessman? Is that why he retired and started up again. Certainly, his home in 1881 is only yards from Jesse Boot's home and shop in Goose Gate (Boot is easily found in the 1881 census). Jesse Boot took over his father's business in 1871, when William b.1847 was 24, so it is all possible (although we don't know when William b.1818 moved to Hockley between 1871 and 1881).

3. What relation is William Gee b.1844 to our William b.1847? They can't be brothers with same name, only three years apart. Similarly, what relation is Joseph, b. 1848?

Mike Ward (related to descendant of William Gee b.1847's second wife) lists William b 1847 as grocer of 27 Great Alfred St in 1871, and grocer of 69 Alfred Street in 1881. Wife Priscilla Hawkins b.1840 and children Ada Emma b.1871 and died 4th qtr 1871 Nottm 7b 168, Arthur b.1873, Anne F b.1874, Albert C b.1876, another Ada Emma b.1876, and William Henry b.1879.

4. When did the family move to Nottingham? William b.1818 was born in Leicestershire, whilst William b.1847 was born in Sneinton. So, the family must have arrived between 1818 and 1847, settled in Sneinton before moving to Great Alfred Street by 1871, and Radford by 1901 (with one member living in Hockley in 1881).

William married Ann Gee (m). (Ann Gee (m) was born circa 1814 in Bagworth, Leics and died in 1881-1891.)