William never married. In the late 19th century, he would have been considered a “confirmed bachelor”. In 1911, he lived with his mother and worked on a farm. In 1939, he lived with his widowed sister, Eliza.

William Aldous

Born: 9 APR 1878 in Ditchingham, Norfolk County, England

Father: Charles Aldous (1853 to 1904)
Mother: Eliza Todd (1853 to 1928)

Spouse: None

Married: None

Children: None

Died: 1955 in Bedfield, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1881 Thwaite St Mary, Norfolk County, England
1891 Ditchingham, Norfolk County, England
1901 Colchester, Essex County, England
1904 Death of father, Charles
1911 Ditchingham, Norfolk County, England
1928 Death of mother, Eliza
1939 Bedfield, Suffolk County, England
1951 Death of sister, Jane
1953 Death of sister, Eliza
1955 Death and Burial

Occupation: private in the British Army (1901), a horseman on a farm (1911), general laborer (1939)

Records:

1881 to 1911 England Census Records
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Norfolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
Norfolk, England, Bishop’s Transcripts, 1685-1941
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005

Variations of Surname: none

I discovered that William never married. He may have been what would have been termed a “confirmed bachelor“.

On the 1901 England census, William is a private in the British Army. He was stationed at the Colchester Garrison. He was 23 years old.

On the 1911 England census, William was living with his widowed mother. He worked as a horseman on a farm. He was 32 years old.

On the 1939 England and Wales Register, William was living with his widowed sister, Eliza Aldous Sparrow, and her son. His occupation was listed as a general laborer. He was 63 years old.

Notes:

Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:

Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree)
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also an excellent source for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestors.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!