William E Thacker 1888-1955

Engineer.  'Director and Leicester representative' of John Thacker Ltd.

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Facts

Date   Event   Source
15 Nov 1888   William Ernest Thacker was born at 2 Palmerston St, Leicester, the eleventh and last child of John Thacker (38), Grocer 'Master', and Louisa L Thacker, formerly Newton (38).   Birth certificate - William E Thacker
(3rdqtr 1889   His eldest sister, Annie (20), married James Burrows, later manager at John Thacker Ltd.)   BMD index; John Thacker Ltd brochure
20 Apr 1890   He was christened at St Luke's church, Leicester, aged 1 year 5 months and 5 days.   St Luke's parish register
1891   At age 2, he was living at 2 and 4 Palmerston Street with his parents, 3 brothers and 3 sisters.   Census
1896   5 years later, his father's business address was 77a Gladstone St and his home address 66 Erskine St   Wright's Directory
1898   2 years later, his father had moved the business to 5 Shenton St and the family to 358 Humberstone Rd   Wright's Directory
2 Jul 1898   When he was 9, his father died of stomach cancer after a six-week illness.   Death certificate
6 Jul 1898   His father's funeral took place 'in the presence of a large assembly of mourners' at Leicester cemetery (Welford Road).   Shoe and Leather Record
(1898-1919   The business continued operating under the name of its founder. A branch in Northampton and a chemical works in Maynard Road opened.)   John Thacker Ltd brochure
25 Oct 1904   At the age of 15, he was apprenticed to Thomas Forknall, engineer, Blake St, to learn the art of 'turning and fitting metals'. He continued living at his mother's address, 15 Melbourne Rd. His pay during his apprenticeship was to be 5/- a week, rising by the end of five years to 13/- a week.   Indentures
1905   He was pictured with 'St Luke's Bible Class Football Club'.   Photograph
21 Jan 1905   His eldest brother, Arthur died of influenza, aged 30, leaving £1227.19s to his wife and two daughters.   Death certificate; Probate calendars
Jun 1906   His oldest surviving brother, John (Jack)'s divorce proceedings were reported in the press, including his admission of adultery ('misconduct') and the observation by counsel that he 'at times gave way to drink' (see below).   Dundee Courier;
Nottingham Evening Post
14 Jan 1907   Jack divorced his wife.   Divorce Court records
28 Nov 1908   When he was 19, William's engineering apprenticeship ended a year early 'by mutual consent'.   Indentures
1910-1922   He was a traveller [salesman] for John Thacker Ltd   John Thacker Ltd brochure
2 Apr 1911   At the census he described himself as an engineer's fitter (of 242 Mere Road, Leicester).   Census
12 Sep 1912   When he was 22, he married by banns at St Mary's Church, Humberstone, Leicester, Mary Hannah Bates, a tailoress of 50 Larch Street. His address was 120 Evington Road. His occupation was commercial traveller. Witnesses: George Thomas Manger (the bride's uncle) and Annie Bates (her sister).   Marriage certificate
1912-13   The family moved to new housing on the outskirts of Leicester - May House, Fern Rise, Humberstone Garden Suburb   Photograph
25 Feb 1913   When he was 24, his mother died aged 63 while staying in a hotel in Bournemouth: he was present at the death.   Death certificate
26 Jul 1913   His wife's parents and sisters emigrated to Canada.   John Thacker; Passenger List
9 Sep 1913   His first child, Mary, was born.   Mary Thacker
24 Aug 1914   The family business became John Thacker Ltd, a private company with two directors: James Burrows (see 1889, above), Chairman; and William Ernest Thacker, a Traveller paid £130 per year. The company was described as carrying on the business of grindery merchants, emery and sandpaper manufacturers and dealers, boot and shoe mercery and supplies, manufacturers of and dealers in leather, inks, stains, dressings, waxes, brushes and polishes, machinery and other tools, engineers, and dealers in hides, skins and other materials.   Articles of Association: John Thacker Ltd
abt 1915   The family moved to 83 Uppingham Road. The rent was 12/6d a week.   Doreen Angrave
1911-1919   His oldest surviving brother, Jack, died in his late 30s/early 40s. His sister-in-law (Mary H Bates) maintained thereafter that 'he drank himself to death.'   John Thacker
1918-1923   He invented and patented the 'Capstan' - a machine for cutting and polishing shoe leather.   Patent application
1919   'John Thacker Ltd point to thirty-six years successful trading as their record of service to the Boot and Shoe Trade'. James Burrows was Managing Director; William Ernest Thacker was 'Director and Leicester representative'.   John Thacker Ltd brochure
bef 1920   He bought a motor car for £200 and spent a further £200 overhauling it and fitting a new body.   Official Receiver's report
Feb 1920   He started business as 'The Capstan Engineering Company' for the purpose of placing the 'Capstan' finishing machine on the market. (This was a new business: he continued as a Director at John Thacker Ltd.)   Official Receiver's report
3 Nov 1920   His second child, John, was born.   Birth certificate
1920-21   He got into financial difficulties. He had borrowed a lot of money to equip and run his new premises, and had heavy interest to pay. He said that he lost £120 on the stock exchange, had to sell his car for £50, losing £350. He continued trading, knowing the business (Capstan Engineering) to be insolvent. He couldn't pay his creditors.   Official Receiver's report
Oct 1921   He said that his employers (John Thacker Ltd) objected to the amount of time he was spending on the new business.   Official Receiver's report
8 Mar 1922   At a meeting of creditors, one creditor refused to negotiate and demanded his money. He was forced to file for bankruptcy.   Official Receiver's report
  His daughter recalled that after one of these meetings her mother came through and told her there would be no holiday that year.   Mary Thacker
10 Apr 1922   His oldest sister, Annie, who suffered with rheumatoid arthritis, died of pulmonary tuberculosis ('phthisis collapse') aged 53.   Death certificate
19 May 1922   The last meeting of creditors was reported in the local press.   Leicester Daily Mercury
7 July 1922   His public examination (bankruptcy) was concluded.   Official Receiver's report
After 1922   Since a bankrupt cannot be a company director, he lost his £400 a year salary as a director of John Thacker Ltd.
John Thacker Ltd continued under the stewardship of Jim Burrows and Cyril Earl (brothers-in-law).		   Assumed

John Thacker
5 Sep 1923   He applied for a patent for a new machine, for folding the edges of sheet material.   Patent application
26 Sep 1927   When he was 38, his third and last child, Alfred Anthony (Tony), was born.   Mary Thacker
1930s   He suffered with bronchial asthma and chronic shortness of breath. His doctor advised him to smoke 2 or 3 cigarettes a day to clear his tubes.   Doreen Angrave
27 Jun 1930   His last surviving brother, Horace, died, aged 47, of 'pulmonary tuberulosis'.   Death certificate
12 Dec 1935

   His sister, Ada, died aged 57, at 97 Charnwood St, Leicester, of pernicious anaemia and bronchitis.   Death certificate
1 Oct 1943   His sister, Clara, died of breast cancer and was buried at Gilroes Cemetery, aged 56.   Doreen Angrave; BMD index
1940s   His last surviving sister, Edith, died aged about 60.   John Thacker
Apr-Jun 1940   When he was 54, his daughter, Mary, married Leslie Kitchener Dallaston [b. 1914].   John Thacker
Nov 1944   He was now an engineer on £5.2s.0d a week (net).   Official Receiver's report
1950s   He continued suffering with asthma during the last years of his life.   David Thacker
22 Nov 1955   William Thacker died aged 67 of 'chronic bronchitis' at 83 Uppingham Road. He was buried at Gilroes cemetery, Leicester.   Death certificate; Headstone
    'He was a real gentleman.'   Florence Allen
    'He was too nice to be in business.'

   Doreen Angrave