William Croasdell 1852 - 1915 was the eldest child of Henry Croasdell and Hannah Silver. He was born on 28th May at Tyson's Square, Neville Street, Ulverstone and his father at that date was working as a gardener. Almost a month later on 27th June William was baptised at St Mary's Ulverstone. William went to school in Dalton where his family were living in 1861 but his whereabouts in 1871 have not yet been discovered. The family fell on hard times after Henry died in 1863 and it is quite probable that William aged 18 would already have started his maritime career. Certainly he was described as a mariner when, aged 20, he married Elizabeth Jackson on May 17th 1873 at St Mary's. Elizabeth's father was John Jackson, a miner, and at the time she was a spinster, also 20, living in Mountbarrow (Ulverston).
William and Elizabeth had 11 children, several of whom died young. William must have been away at sea for a large percentage of the time but he worked in the coastal trade and presumably returned to his home port of Ulverston on a regular basis. In 1881 he was apparently in two places at once! He is shown as being at his home on Oubas Hill, Ulverstone, aged 29, an ordinary sailor, with his wife Elizabeth and four children. But he also appears, aged 28, with his brothers Joseph and Henry as mate on board the S&EA Charnley - a vessel of 93 tons registered at Barrow in Furness. William's younger brother Joseph was the master and the ship was moored at Bridge Reach, Rochester in Kent - Phoenix Crescent Wharf, Frindsbury. It is most likely that he was actually on board ship on the night of Sunday April 3rd and that his wife gave his details to the enumerator in Ulverston explaining he was head of the household but not mentioning that he was away at the time. In 1891 three of the children were at 12 Oubas Hill with a 29 year old Visitor, a widow from Cornwall, M Williams, but no sign of either William or Elizabeth. Some of the records give the family address as Moss Side around this time but this appears to be part of Oubas Hill in the census.
Some accounts of William's life and character have been passed on by his descendants. He was supposed to have been rather fond of the drink (not unheard of in maritime families!) His grand-daughter-in-law (Elizabeth McBride) recounted that William was a pilot for the North West in the Mersey Approaches and was registered with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. He certainly had a long and varied sea-faring career. Originally an ordinary seaman, he is described on various birth certificates for some of his children as a sailor in 1881, a master mariner in 1890 and 1891, and back to a mariner in 1894. Most of these specify he worked in the coasting trade. Probably the pilot's job came after the move to the Liverpool area. Merchant navy records may well reveal more about his career and this research is still to be done.
William and Elizabeth's children were
Henry 1873 - 1888
Hannah 1875 - 1886
John 1877 - 1949
Ernest 1879 - 1955
Joseph 1881 - 1882
Elizabeth Jane 1883 - ?
Eva Bell 1888 - 1889
William Henry 1889 - 1920
Herbert 1891 - 1903
Alfred (Alf) 1894 - 1894
Charles Edward 1895 - 1895
There was also an un-named stillborn child buried in 1886
Elizabeth died in 1897 whilst living at Quay Street and was buried on 22 September at Ulverston Cemetery aged 45 years.
William moved to Liverpool/West Derby after Elizabeth's death, taking his younger children with him. On 10th October 1898 he married for a second time to Margaret Hughes, a widow who was formerly named Margaret Morris. They were both living in Everton at the time and William was still being described as a mariner. In the register he described his father as Henry Croasdell (deceased) Butcher. In 1901 William and Margaret were living at 62 Kendell Street in Toxteth Park with William Henry and Herbert. In 1915 on 5th January William died in the workhouse although his address was given as 29 Abyssinia Street, West Derby. Margaret, his widow, was living at Edgeware Street West Derby at the time. She died 14 years later in 1929.