| Westbourne |
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| 1799-1824 | 1824-1830 | 1830:Riots | 1831-1854 | 1854:Murder! | 1854-1901 |
In 1855 The Post Office Directory of Sussex (later Kelly's Directory) records a William Pile trading in Westbourne as a cattle dealer. This is most likely the farmer but could be George and Martha's eldest son.
On Christmas Day 1855 Jane Pile married George Crees (or Creese) at the parish church.
Martha Pile died at Commonside on 13 January 1858, her death certificate records her as seventy years old and the cause of her death as enlargement of the liver. Emma Mathews, her daughter by her first marriage registered the death. Martha was buried in the churchyard with her second husband, the grave however remained unmarked.
On 11 November 1859 William Pile, the farmer, died at the age of seventy years, he was buried in Westbourne churchyard next to his late wife Jemima. [photo of grave]
George and Martha's eldest son William appears to have had a long-standing affair with a local girl, Harriet Griffin. They had probably known each other from childhood as in 1841 she appears as a fifteen-year-old living next door to George and Martha Pile.
Westbourne parish registers list nine children born illegitimately to a Harriet Griffin between 1841 and 1867, in all cases no father is recorded. The first is the baptism of George Griffin on 12 October 1841; if this is our Harriet she would have been only fifteen.
In the eighteen years between 1849 and 1867 Harriet had eight children, four sons and four daughters. Two of the sons, William baptised in 1852 and James baptised in 1860 were Christened William Thomas Pile Griffin and James Pile Griffin respectively ensuring that the father was identified.
In the 1861 census they are all listed as living at Queen Haven in Westbourne although Harriet and the children are in the household of her mother, Mary and are all recorded as Griffins. William meantime is living just two doors away as a lodger with his youngest, now married sister, Charlotte Creese, her husband George and children Ernest and Harry aged four and one respectively.
George and Martha's third daughter Jane Kennett is living at 2 Hermitage, Westbourne with her sons William, 6 and Harry, 4. William was born at Warblington and Harry at Westbourne. Jane is described as “mariner's wife husband at sea”. William Kennett is the mate aboard the ship Isabella which is recorded as being in Bridlington Bay.
William and Harriet had two further children, David in 1865 (christened David Henry) and Louisa in 1868.
By the time of the next census in 1871, William Pile was living at North Street in Westbourne with Harriet Griffin living with him as his "housekeeper". William is an agricultural labourer and Harriet a needlewoman, both are listed as forty-six years old. Their children Mary Jane, James, David and Louisa are all present but now all bear the name Pile, all are listed as scholars.
Jane Kennett is now living at South Street Warblington with children Charles (previously Harry), 14 and Joseph, 2 both are recorded as being born at Emsworth. Jane's husband William is presumably at sea but has be found in the census, their eldest son also William is also not present.
Charlotte Creese is living at The Brickyard and Potteries in Westbourne with her husband George and children Ernest, Harry, Maria, Lizzie, William, Martha and Henrietta. George is a brickmaker and his son Ernest is a labourer in the brickfield.
In 1873 William Pile's eldest known son William joined the Royal Navy. He served as a stoker aboard HMS Orontes from 10 January to 2 May 1873 and on 20 November 1873 he signed up for a period of ten years and served on ten different ships in this period, after this he signed up again and served until 1886.
William's seaman's service record gives a physical description of him as 5 feet 5 inches tall with a dark complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes; it also states that William has a burn on his left breast.
In 1879 Harriet Griffin's eldest daughter Sarah Maria had an illegitimate son whom she called William.
The 1881 census again shows William Pile now 56 years old and a labourer on the railways, Harriet Griffin is now living with him, her occupation is given as laundress, their children James, David and Louisa are still at home and there is also a grand-daughter, Ellen, although it is not clear who her father is. Also in the village is Charlotte with her husband George Crees, they now have ten children; Ernest, 23 a till maker; Harry, 17 a brickmaker (like his father); Lizzie, 17 a domestic servant though not employed at this time; William, 15 a "general" labourer; Martha, 12; Henrietta, 11; Charles, 9; Frances, 7; Florence, 4 all listed in the census as scholars) and Mabel aged just two.
Elsewhere in the village Sarah Bargent, a baker's wife, had given birth to a daughter the day before the census was taken (April 3), listed in the household is a nurse Jane Kennett, she is George and Martha's second daughter who had previously married William Kennett.
Jane's husband William is also recorded in Westbourne with their children Joseph, 12, Jesse, 9 and Bertha, 7. Their eldest son William is living at 36 Charlton St, Portsea along with his wife Alice and their eleven month old daughter Jane. Their second child Charles has not been found in this census.
Later that year James Pile married Ila Goble, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Edward Charles and Martha Goble.
On November 29 1883 Charlotte and George Creese's son William died at the age of just seventeen years and less than a year later, on October 3 1884 his brother, Harry died aged 24. Both are buried together in Westbourne cemetery.
In January 1885 William Pile's son David followed his elder brother William into the Royal Navy, he signed up on 21 June for the initial standard term of twelve years serving on seven different ships and shore establishments. On completion of his service he re-signed for the remaining ten years on 29 June 1897 however, on 8 April 1898 David was serving at the naval barracks at Devonport when he apparently drowned following the capsizing of a boat.
The last census of the nineteenth century, taken in 1891, records two Pile families, William and Harriet, both 66 and now (apparently) married, William being employed as a railway platelayer. Their son William a 39-year-old naval pensioner is also in the household together with their granddaughter, 13-year-old Ellen Griffin. There is no formal record of William and Harriet's marriage in civil or church records.
Elsewhere is William and Harriet's son James and his wife Ila. James is now a 31-year-old bricklayer's labourer; Ila is 28 and was born in Westbourne. They have two sons James who is six and William, four.
Jane and William Kennett's sons Charles and Joseph are recorded on the fishing vessel Heroine. Charles Kennett is the master, 35 years old and married, his brother Joseph is a 23 year old single able seaman, both were born at Emsworth. The census page bears Charles Kennett's signature.
In 1892 an epidemic of influenza swept the country and in early January both William and Harriet Pile caught the infection, Harriet suffered for six days, the last four exacerbated by bronchitis, until she died on 11 January. William lasted a further eight days dying on 19 January. Harriet's death certificate gives the informant as W. Pile, son whereas Williams' death certificate says his informant was Harriet Griffin, stepdaughter; suggesting that both children were Harriet's but Harriet was in fact not William's natural daughter, this raises speculation as to Harriet's's father. William was registered as William Thomas Pile Griffin suggesting that William was probably his father.
In 1894 William Kennett, the husband of Jane died aged 68. The following year Jane also died at the age of 63.
The first census of the twentieth century was taken on the night of 31 March 1901 and records only one Pile household in Westbourne, that of James Pile a 41-year-old bricklayers labourer, his wife Ila is now 38 and three sons are now recorded, 16-year-old James and 14-year-old William are also bricklayers labourers, the youngest is nine-year-old Harry.
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