William Henry Sheridan 1842 to 1930
Thundersley’s Principal Benefactor
Old newspaper cuttings of Thundersley often feature Mr.Sheridan. If there is a photo, he is the man with the large white beard.
Sheridan started out life in Teignmouth Devon and made his money as a ship’s powder magazine builder for The Admiralty. He became the governing director of WH Sheridan and Son Ltd, builder of ships’ magazines, founded in Poplar in 1862.
In 1862, he married Elizabeth Carroll (also from Teignmouth) in London, by 1871 they lived in London with two children and in 1881 they lived in Leytonstone with, by then, three of their four children and his widowed mother.
Still in London in the 1891 Census, they had a servant and their second son, but by 1893, Sheridan held lands in Thundersley. David Neal and William Waylett, labourers, were summonsed for trespassing in search of rabbits, on his land. (They were each fined 10s. and costs, or in default 14 days’ hard labour). (Chelmsford Chronicle 15th December 1893).
In 1894, “Sheridan, gentleman”, was unsuccessful in the Thundersley Parish Council elections with only 22 votes (26 having been necessary for election). (Essex Newsman 22nd December 1894).
Tragically, his wife Elizabeth died in February 1897 when they were living at Kiln House after an accident when she pitched out of their trap on to her head. (as reported in the Chelmsford Chronicle on 12th February). The family including their daughter and a servant were mounting their trap near The Chase on their return from a concert at the Thundersley Barn. Elizabeth did not recover consciousness and an operation did not save her life.
Less than two months later, Sheridan was again involved in local Thundersley Parish Council elections when he was elected with 48 votes, beaten into second place by Mr F T Mapey (56 votes). Rev Talfourd and four others were also successful, but Stephen Harvey (35 votes) lost out for the last place when lots were drawn. Sheridan, who had the largest show of hands, presumably unhappy with this, demanded a poll to get Mr. Mapey off. There was frantic excitement when it became known that Mr. Mapey was at the top of the poll. (Chelmsford Chronicle 9th April 1897). In 1897, Sheridan became Chairman of the Parish Council. In November 1897, Mr. Sheridan, as District Councillor, was asked to explain his attitude at a Rochford meeting on a letter from Thundersley Parish Council being read complaining that stones were laid in heaps on the highways many months before required, to the danger of drivers and waste of stones. (Chelmsford Chronicle 5th November 1897).
In 1898, at the Kingsmead Room, there was a large and highly appreciative audience, when “capital choruses were given by the Thundersley Choral Union” and there were songs from various people including Mr. Sheridan and Miss Sheridan, although we can’t be sure if this was William or his son. (Chelmsford Chronicle 25th November 1898).
Sheridan was a friend of the Tabernacle in Station Road, Rayleigh and was one of several speakers at its opening in 1899. He also took an interest in the Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavour.
In 1900, he had a house built for his daughter Leonora as a wedding present on the occasion of her marriage to Doctor Cosmo Grant. Their house, Ravenswood, the first house from Victoria House corner on the west of Rayleigh Road still stands, albeit now converted to flats.
At the time of the 1901 Census, Sheridan was a visitor in a hotel in Barry in Wales, perhaps due to his involvement as an Explosives Magazine Builder and employer. In 1901, Harriet Sheridan, William’s 87 year old mother was living in Kiln Road with a housekeeper and cook to look after her. This was probably in Gate Farm just along the road from her granddaughter. Sheridan was later living at the 11 room Gate Farm. Harriet Sheridan died at Gate Farm in 1902.
In 1903, Sheridan, in his 60s, remarried in Lancashire, to Mary Jane Trickey Trowell (27 years his junior),
In 1910, he presided over the planting of trees by the Parish Council in Swans Green, Hart Road. (See the 17/05/2021 article Tree Planting, October 1910, Thundersley), having paid the cost of part fencing “Goose Green”, erecting a swing and see-saw, planting trees, and for providing entertainment for the school children. A letter was received from Mr. B. Cranness on behalf of 20 children asking for goalposts to be erected on the recreation ground. Mr. Sheridan agreed to make another gift to the children, and the Council thanked him for this another instance of his beneficence and gave permission for the posts to be erected. (See the Southend Standard and Essex Weekly Advertiser 29th December 1910).
In the 1911 Census, Sheridan was living at Gate Farm in Kiln Road with Mary Jane and their servant, Bessie Cass. William and Mary Jane were registered at Gate House Farm from at least 1918 to 1929.
In 1920, he presented the village with the land known as Swan’s Green as a war memorial, recreation ground. (Chelmsford Chronicle 30th July 1920).
He also conveyed to the parish church [St Peter’s] a piece of land for the extension of the churchyard.
Later in 1920, with Messrs. A Yeaxlee and H Mitchell, he provided a Christmas tree, eight feet high, and well loaded with gifts, for the infants at the Council School and as Santa Claus, gave away the presents. (Chelmsford Chronicle 30th December 1920).
In 1923, when it was proposed to install an X-ray apparatus at the hospital in Rochford [The Rochford Poor Law hospital, as it then was] at a cost of £552, Mr Sheridan said if they obtained it for £500, he would give £250 towards it. (Essex Newsman 9th March 1923).
In the same year, he presented a radio apparatus to Southend Hospital. (Essex Newsman 22 June 1923).
He was also a liberal subscriber to the funds for the Hospital and assisted in other ways.
He was a generous supporter of any good cause in Thundersley, being President or Vice-President of many bodies, including football and cricket clubs.
He was interested in horticulture and each year lent a field to the Thundersley Horticultural Society for their summer shows, being Vice-President of the Society. He was greatly interested in the Girl Guide and Boy Scout movements and was a liberal supporter of their funds.
He took a great interest in the Hadleigh and Thundersley branch of the British Legion and was ever ready to open sales of work, bazaars, etc or assist in any good cause.
A strong Conservative in politics, he was a member of the South-East Essex Conservative Association and at one time frequently spoke at Conservative meetings in the district.
Sheridan died on 22nd March 1930, aged 88, after a long illness and the following is from his obituary in the Chelmsford Chronicle of 28th March:
DEATH OF MR. SHERIDAN, A THUNDERSLEY WORTHY.
The death occurred on Saturday after a lengthy illness of Mr. William Henry Sheridan, of Gate House Farm, Thundersley, one of the oldest, best known, and most revered inhabitants in the district. He had resided at Gate House Farm for years. Born in Teignmouth 88 years ago, he was in his young days employed in building wooden ships. Then he went to sea, after which he was engaged for sixty years in the construction of powder magazines for ships. Mr. Sheridan, who was hearty old gentleman, with snow-white hair and beard, represented Thundersley on the Rochford Guardians and Rural Council for thirty-three years. For many years he was also chairman of the old Parish Council. He presented the X-ray installations to the Rochford Board of Guardians’ hospital, and the Southend Victoria Hospital, and also contributed generously to the funds. He contributed largely to the cost of the installation of wireless at Rochford Institution and gave the installation at the Isolation Hospital at Sutton Ford. His benefactions to Thundersley included the gift of the Recreation Ground and the land for the enlargement of the churchyard. No worthy cause ever appealed to him in vain. Deceased leaves one son, Mr. Edgar Sheridan, and one daughter, Mrs. Grant. The funeral will be Thundersley tomorrow (Saturday).
His funeral was reported in the 4th April 1930 edition of the Chelmsford Chronicle:
FUNERAL OF MR. W. H. SHERIDAN
The funeral of Mr. W. H. Sheridan, of Thundersley, a generous benefactor of the parish, whose death was recorded in the last Essex Chronicle, took place on Saturday, at the Parish Church. The Rector, the Rev. E. A. Maley, officiated, and the service was attended by a large number of parishioners. School children lined the route, and the Girl Guides formed a guard of honour. The mourners were: Mr. Edgar Sheridan, son; Dr. and Mrs. Grant, son-in-law and daughter; Messrs. Wm. Sheridan, Clifford Sheridan, and Leo Sheridan, and Messrs. Ian and Colin Grant, grandsons. There was a great attendance, and the service was choral. The floral tributes were very numerous and included offerings from all the many public and semi-public movements for the general good with which the deceased gentleman was connected.
In his probate record, he left effects worth over £55,000, [equivalent to about £3 million in 2026] and in his will, he left a total of nearly £90,000, [about £5 million in 2026.]
[Editor: This article was compiled from various newspaper reports, the Find My Past family history website and from the notes made by the late Bob Delderfield]
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How lovely to read this beautiful tribute to my great great grandfather William, thank you so much you have brought a tear to my eye and it’s amazing to see some pictures and references here I’ve never heard or seen before. It’s wonderful to see he is still remembered and his legacy lives on. I have some more photos if you would like to see them, I do plan to visit Thundersley one day soon.
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