Nat Gould

William Oakden 1865-1945

Osmaston Church

William Oakden was born in 1865 at Alstonefield in Staffordshire, the son of Thomas Oakden 1837-1903 and his wife née Anne Adams 1838-1906. He was baptised at Alstonefield on 19 September 1865.

He was a joiner on the Osmaston Estate near Ashbourne in Derbyshire. When the Census was taken in 1891 he was lodging with the Curtis family in Osmaston. On 21 September 1899 he married Lucy Harriett Curtis at Osmaston. She was born in 1876 in Nottingham, the daughter of William Curtis 1842-1909 and his wife née Selina Harriett Prosser 1854-1899. Her father was a blacksmith, born at Yoxford in Suffolk.

They had the following children, all born at Osmaston:

Edith Annie Oakden. She was baptised at Osmaston on 22 July 1900. She was married on 9 June 1924 at Osmaston to Walter Matthews, and died in 1996 aged 96 years.

Helena Gertrude Oakden. She was born on 3 September 1901. She was married on 23 December 1933 to George Donaldson at Osmaston, and died in 1986 aged 84 years.

Elsie May Oakden. She was born in 1904. She was married to Arthur Weston Waterfield on 17 October 1925 at Osmaston, and died at Loughborough in Leicestershire on 17 January 1964 aged 60 years. Administration of her estate was granted on 4 February 1964 (1).

William Percival Oakden. He was born in 1905, and died in 1922 aged seventeen years.

Signature on 1911 Census Return

Frederick Thomas Oakden. He was born in 1906. He had lived in Surrey, but in 1986 his whereabouts were unknown (2).

Ruby Marjorie Oakden. Born in 1915, she died in 2009.

Their father William Oakden died in 1945 aged 79 years.

(1) "WATERFIELD Elsie May of 24 Middleton Place Loughborough Leicestershire (wife of Arthur Weston Waterfield) died 17 January 1964 Administration Leicester 4 February to the said Arthur Weston Waterfield retired office caretaker. £341." England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1964) page 177.
(2) "NEXT OF KIN RE: HELENA GERTRUDE DONALDSON DECEASED Will Frederick Thomas Oakden, formerly of 7 Haslam Avenue, Sutton, Surrey, or any person having knowledge of the present whereabouts of Frederick Thomas Oakden please contact Messrs. Eddowes Simm and Waldron, Solicitors, of 13 Church Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1AE." London Gazette 4 July 1986 Issue 50587 page 8953.