#15240, William DAWSON

 William operated the family windmill and lived in the Millhouse at 113 Playford Road, on the corner of Heath Lane and it is thought the family had a second mill on Foxhall Road.  As well as being a miller he was a corn merchant and a farmer of some 80 acres  Two of his brothers, George and Robert were also millers, possibly at Foxhall Road.

William had 2 wives, Anna Harriet Capon (1829-1853) and Elizabeth Fayers who we show on the tree.  The children were William Walter (1849-1856), Arthur Thomas (1851-1924), Anna Mary (1852-?), John Dawsib (1853-1853), William Albert (1860-1935), Ellen Elizabeth (1861-1924), Alfred (1863-1938), Grace Julia (1864-1927), Walter Charles (1868-1964), Harry Fayers (1870-1937), Eunice Kate (1872-?), Bessie Ethel (1874-1964) and Allan George (1878-1878).

Like many windmills at that time William’s was painted white and it was said that over a ton of paint was required every time it was given a fresh coat. William’s daughter-in-law, Florence Fenning (born 1872), Mrs Alfred Dawson #15243 told of the occasion on which the wind suddenly changed direction through 180 degrees threatening to blow the sails off the cap. To get the mill back into the wind her father-in-law had to reposition the fan on the back of the cap so that it could be turned by the wind. In doing so his coat tails got caught in the mechanism and he became trapped. Fortunately he was released but a while later he suffered a stroke from which he never really recovered.

November 2024