Edward Romilly Willis

Born 1 May 1838, and baptised at St. Andrew-the-Great 6 Jul 1838, son of Professor Robert Willis. Died in London in March 1890. Living with his parents in 1851 and 1861, at 77 St Paul's Road, Kentish Town, in 1881. In 1871 he was enumerated in Swansea at 9 Trafalgar Terrace, with a lady claiming to be his wife, Hannah Elizabeth Willis. She was born at Brampton in Norfolk in about 1851, and probably wasn't his wife; he declared himself a bachelor on his wedding certificate.

Educated at King William's College on the Isle of Man January 1852 - Midsummer 1854, and became a Civil Engineer; in 1871 he was probably at the Landore Steel works with his brother Arthur (who was also living in sin!). Elected an associate of the Institute of Civil Engineers on 23 May 1865:

Because after serving a pupilage at the works of Messrs. W. Fairbairn & Co., as a Mechanical Engineer, and under Mr Brunlees (In ?) as a Civil Engineer, during part of which latter period he was engaged in the San Paulo Ry in Brazil, he was subsequently employed as an Assistant on the same line, & is now similarly occupied under Mr Brunlees. He is upwards of 25 years of age. From his membership application for the I.C.E.

Seems to have left the I.C.E. on or about 26 November 1874, at which point his address was given as 24 Westbourne Terrace North, Harrow Road, W.

Married at St Marylebone on 21 June 1876 to Catherine Jane Norman. She was born there in about 1855, daughter of William Norman, a house painter, and died at Hackney in 1905.

Issue two sons and one daughter:

  1. Arthur Edward Willis, baptised 13 June 1877 at Hammersmith. Living with his sister in 1911 ('Agent for Sewing Machines'), at 253 Kingsland Road, London, at the time of his marriage, and at 473 Leytonstone High Road in 1915 when he signed up ('Bookseller').

    Married at St. Andrew, Hoxton, on 31 October 1911, to Louisa Field. She was born 16 October 1889 at Stratford, Essex, daughter of William Henry Field, and died January 1915, soon after the birth of their daughter.

  2. Eleanor Kate Willis, born 14 April 1878 baptised 12 July 1878 at St Stephen's, Paddington, and died at Barnet in London in 1957. Living with her family at 22 de Beavouir Square, Hackney, in 1901, and at 119 St John's Road, Hoxton in 1911 (with her brother Arthur as well)

    Married at Holy Trinity, Dalston, on 22 January 1899 to Henry Robert Vaux, a french polisher. He was born about 1878 at Hoxton, son of Henry Robert Vaux, a painter.

  3. Robert Norman Willis, born at Holloway about 1881. Living at 83 Belmont Road, Tottenham Mead in 1911 (working as a traveller in typewriters) and when he signed up in 1915.

    Married at St. John's, Hoxton, on 6 July 1907 to Edith Priscilla Newbery. She was born 11 September 1881 at Hoxton, daughter of Joseph Henry Newbery, a lamp-maker, and died in Surrey in 1969.