William Parsons

William lived with his father Isaac in the parish of St John, Bedminster. In 1901 the household consisted of father Isaac his aunt Sarah and two sisters Louisa and Rose both tobacco factory workers living at 18 Braunton Road with William being described as a gunner in the Devon artillery.

William married Sara Ann Edgeworth in 1902 and their first son William was born in 1903 being baptised at Bedminster Down Mission Church. In 1911 the family was living near Telegraph Hotel, Bedminster Down (As per the census) with now four sons and two daughters their first son William having not survived. William rejoined the 1st battalion of the Devonshire Regiment in September 1914; he was killed age 32 on 1st May 1915 and has no known grave his name being recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing Ypres Belgium

On 21st April 1915 the Devonshire’s occupied trenches at Hill 60 near Zillebeke in Flanders, which had been captured on 17th April.  Counter-attacks and heavy shelling cost them more than 200 casualties. On the 1st May 1915 the Germans attacked the lines at Hill 60 and according to the war diary using a prolonged bombardment of poison gas shells followed by a counter attack during which William was killed.