Born: 16 January 1871

Birth Certificate:

Registration District	Birmingham
in the Sub-District of	All Saints
in the County of	Warwickshire
When and where born	16 January 1871, 86 Bacchus Lane
Name	William John
Sex	Boy
Name of Father	William Stanier
Name of Mother	Martha Stanier, formerly Kimber
Profession of Father	Brass Dresser
Informant	Martha Stanier , Mother, 86 Bacchus Lane Birmingham
When Registered	14 February 1871

Father: William Stanier

Mother: Martha Kimber

5-generation pedigree

Baptised: 31 August 1874, St Michael Handsworth

His sister Jane Elizabeth Stanier was baptised on the same occasion, as was Hannah Stanier the daughter of John and Elizabeth Stanier. William Stanier and John Stanier were probably brothers.

Siblings: (For dates, etc, see the extended family)

1.   William John Stanier
2. Jane Elizabeth Stanier
3. Ada Stanier
4. Mary Alice Stanier
5. George Henry Stanier
   A G.H.Stanier, presumably George Henry, had a photographic studio in Norton Street in about 1900 (see this photograph of his niece and nephew). This is not mentioned in Kelly's of the period, so perhaps he worked from the Bird in Hand.
   He was known as "Cap" Stanier, apparently for having won a cap at swimming.
6. James Stanier
   James joined the South Staffordshire Regiment on 17 March 1900, to fight in the Boer War, at which date his address was given as 22½ Norton St Winson Green (PRO WO97/5982).
   A family album contains what is probably his photograph
7. Florence Martha Stanier
8. Howard Stanier

Married: Lizzie Shaw 11 July 1894

Marriage Certificate:

Children:

1. William Edwin Stanier
2. Lilian May Stanier
3. Elsie Florence Stanier

The Stanier Family, 1921

Died: 1 December 1939

Death Certificate:

Presumably, his was the interment at Section 41c, plot 12895, Handsworth Cemetery on 6 December 1939.

Will:

Probate: 20 March 1940

Addresses:

Notes:

 Attended the Norton Street Early Morning School for Men, and in 1891 was awarded a copy of the works of Shakespeare for making 52 early attendances out of a possible 52. It may be inferred that the School was held weekly.

 Said (by his grandson Roger William Stanier) to have a strong resemblance to Beville Stanier of Peplow Hall Shropshire, the successful Unionist Candidate for the North (Newport) Division of Shropshire in 1908.

 "Grandfather Stanier would have been a clever man had he been given the chance. He left school, such as it was, in Lozells, Birmingham at the age of eleven to become a pot boy. That is the lad who lathers the customers of a barber's shop in preparation for the barber to shave them (This is a somewhat unusual definition of the rôle of the pot boy. I suspect that William was a pot boy in the sense accepted by the OED: "A boy or young man employed at a tavern or public house to serve the customers with beer, or to carry beer to outside customers; a publican's assistant" - probably in the Bird in Hand Public House run by his father.) Each regular customer had his own pot, and woe betide the pot boy who used the wrong pot for a customer. Some time later he became an apprentice at Dennisons, the famous clock and watchmakers in Birmingham. In his final year, an apprentice had to demonstrate his ability by constructing a skeleton clock. It had to be a skeleton clock, so that the master could evaluate it without having to go to the trouble of taking it to pieces. Father told me that the incomplete clock was only finished in time to be his wedding present from grandfather. For more years than I care to remember, it stood on the sideboard in the living room, striking the hours and chiming the half hours. The local G.P. who attended the family took a great fancy to it and, on occasion, waited to watch the movement operate as it struck the hours. He wanted to buy the clock, but it was not for sale. As a boy of perhaps nine or ten, I helped grandfather re-furbish it, but after grandfather's death in 1939 the glass dome got broken and it gradually deteriorated, to be reconditioned by Brian in the sixties. When the clockmaking industry in the U.K. collapsed, unable to compete with mass produced German clocks and Swiss watches, grandfather joined a firm making electric meters, and I remember going with him to the firm's annual sports days. In the races, participants got a start advantage according to age, one yard per year over a reference age, and grandfather started his races half way down the course, twenty yards clear of the next man. It was quite rarely that he could be caught. I recall him sitting in one of the rest tents, liberally applying linament to his aching muscles.

It was only after grandfather's death that father discovered that he had been conceived out of wedlock and found out the story. It seemed that grandfather was courting the elder of the two sisters, Florrie, but it was the younger sister Lizzy that he got pregnant. Linda has a wedding photograph of the couple, with grandmother, despite tightly laced corsets, obviously about six or seven months pregnant. They moved into a terrace house in Boulton Road, Handsworth, and lived there until about 1935 when they bought a council house in Pineapple Road, Stirchley, a quarter of a mile from our then own home.

Grandmother was a tidy little woman, addicted to making Christmas Puddings which were kept for a year to mature and then distributed to friends and relations.

In middle age, Grandfather "got religion", becoming an enthusiastic member of the Christadelphian Church (Christ is coming tomorrow! Be prepared). In this he was joined by the youngest daughter, Elsie, but the elder daughter, Lilian, and father, who was the eldest child, remained outside the movement, and grandmother was distinctly lukewarm.
[John Howard Stanier]

 A number of postcards to William John Stanier and his wife Lizzie were found amongst the effects of their daughter Lilian:-

1. from Weston super Mare, dated April 193? [last digit illegible], addressed to Mr & Mrs Stainer, 128 Boulton Rd, Hands Worth, Birmingham.
   Dear Will & Lizzie
   Thanks very much for your nice letter I was so glad to hear from you and that you had a good reception at Mothers last week. I thank you very much for doing the room for her Florrie sends her love to you all I am glad to say I am improving the weather is very rough but I have not stayed in much I hope Will is better Love to Lilly and yourselves your loving Ada
   Notice Jack on the card
2. from Dawlish, dated 28 July 1936, addressed to Mr & Mrs Stanier, 162 Pineapple Rd, Stirchley, Birmingham.
   Dear Grandma & Grandad,
   We are having a great time here.
   The weather is grand and the scenery lovely. I am writing this P.C. sitting on Teignmouth sands
   love Peggy
3. from Harlech, dated 3 September 1936, addressed to Mr & Mrs W J Stanier, 162 Pineapple Rd, Stirchley, Birmingham 14.
   Dear Mr & Mrs Stanier
   We are having quite a nice time here except for a few showers. Peggy is enjoying herself immenseley.
   Hope your holiday has done you both good & that you are feeling better
   With kindest regards Eunice & Bert
4. from Glasgow, dated 19 August 1936, addressed to Mr & Mrs W Stanier, 162 Pineapple Rd, Stirchley, Birmingham 21, England.
   Dear Will, Lizzie, Lily
   I expect you have arrived home again I hope you have had a good time and that you have left Elsie OK the weather has been very nice for all this holiday It is beautiful up here lovely society and wonderful Shops and Buildings The river Clyde is not far from here and the sea is 30 miles away Laura, Reg and I went last Sunday to the Sea to a place called Largs and we had a nice time we are going to Loch Lomond one of the day's so you may guess I am having a nice time remember me to Billy Mabel Hope the children are well I shall come over to see you in about a months time best love to all your loving sister Ada.

Also amongst the effects were two postcards to Lilian Stanier at 162 Pineapple Rd, Birmingham 14, from her parents

1. from Paignton, dated 20 August 1937
   Dear Lill
   We are having a nice time, the weather as not been so hot this week but there is a lot of people hear.
   We shall not be at home till Friday as we have got an envite to the Hydro on Thursday. Elsis house is very nice Melvas Mother and Dad have gone away today on their holidays
   Love Mother Dad
2. from Paignton, dated 29 August 1937
   Dear Lill
   We have decided to Come on the 1.30 gets in Snow Hill at 7.0 Friday will you tell Mabel as Roger as sent a PC to say we were coming on the 11. O Clock which gets in Snow Hill at 4.30 hope all are well
   Love from Dad

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© Alan M Stanier (contact details)