The WJ Price Family
This is what I've found out about the WJ Price family as they prospered in America.
Introduction by Walter T Price
When WJ and Sarah moved to St. Louis, they seemed to move around a lot. Their early addresses in St Louis: 1884, 119 South Ewing; 1885, S.S. Swan Ave near Boyle; 1886, 2512a Dodier; 1897, Laclede Hotel; 1888, 4559 Cottage; 1895, 2923 Semple; 1899, 2501 Whittier; 1901, 4239 Easton; 1905, 1162 Aubert (shop at 4460 Finney). He continued at Aubert throughout his life, moving the shop there in 1907.
In his early years in St. Louis, William J. was a carpenter foreman on some of the large churches and apartment buildings in the area around Union, Kingshighway, Delmar and Maryland.
By 1910, W.J. Price Company was in full swing as Carpenter and Building Contractor.
They were members of the Episcopal Church on Euclid and Washington Av. William J was a very active member in the Order of the Sons of St. George, Wellington Lodge #419 [3].
After World War I, the family began to operate as Wm J Price & Sons, Carpenters & Builders. All six sons were involved in the business at that time. With William's wife Sarah leading the way, business boomed and all but Bill bought their own homes. Everyone prospered till the Great Depression wiped them out. Over time their business evolved into repairing rather than building. Kingbury Place, Westmoreland Place, Portland Place, and the ABC Apartments were some of the areas where they worked. They were masters of their trade.
THE PARENTS: WILLIAM J PRICE AND SARAH NEWHAM
William James Price
Born: Jan 1859 Sudbury (Uttoxeter, Derbyshire) England
Died: June 1934 St. Louis MO, "chronic
nephritis with acute cardiac dilatation (onset 1929) and chronic
myocarditis"
[4]
Married: Sarah
Elizabeth Newham, 3rd Quarter, 1881 [2], in Bourne district
of Lincolnshire (where the Newham family lived)
1881 Census: living with parents in the civil parish of Foston & Scropton, on or near Hay Lane (in Staffordshire, just over the border from Derbyshire). Working as a carpenter. (More about his family... and specifically about his father James...)
Emigrated to America with wife and two oldest children in late 1883 (after the birth of William) or early 1884 (soon enough to be included in the 1884 St Louis City Directory. The 1900 Census lists their immigration date as 1886 — this seems incorrect.
1900 Census. With family, at 4239 Easton Av, working as a carpenter.
1920 Census (5 Jan) . 1162 Aubert, with Sarah and the three sons — Frank, Walter, and Tab — who had been discharged the prior May from duty as soldiers in the Great War, in France. The sons were all in the family carpenter business.
Cricket. As a young man, my father had this idea that his grandfather William J would periodically disappear to play cricket in Australia. Once he began gathering more factual information on the life and times of Wm J, this seemed unlikely. The story of Wm J's cricket-playing remains a mystery.
Born: April 1860, Wytham on Hill (Lincolnshire) England (more...)
Married: see above
Died: 30 Jun 1927
"arteriosclerosis - contributory cardiac dilatation" [4]
1881 Census: living in Burton upon Trent at 161 Shobnall Street. Working as a laundress and living with her brother Charles Edward (a tailor) and his wife Ruth, along with their brother Samuel H. (a brewer's labourer). This is apparently where she met William J Price. (More about Sarah's family.)
CHILDREN (all born in Missouri, except where indicated)
PHOTO: The six brothers at the shop on Aubert.
Mary Ann
B. in the 4th Quarter of 1881 in Burton Upon Trent (Derbyshire/Staffordshire), England [1]. According to family lore, she died aboard ship to America.
Nothing is really known about Mary Ann, except the oral history of her death. The birth record I found fits the overall Price family story. It makes her the oldest child, born where her mother was working. Her parents married 1 to 3 months before she was born.
William
B. in
Sudbury (Derbyshire) England, Aug 1883.
D. Feb 1965
1900 census. Working as a carpenter's helper (with his father, I assume).
1930 210 Sarah (Melrose Apartments at Sara and West Pine), living with wife Magdelen (age 47, parents from Germany). Working as a carpenter.
Frank L
B. Feb 1887. D. Mar 1947
Frank's Army Card from the Missouri State Archives. Served in WWI
1930 1160 Aubert (next to his dad), in his own home with Ireland-born wife Mary E Ward, and son Frank Warren. Working as a carpenter. (Later, married Lula, who died in 1954.)
Ernest
B.
Jan 1889. D. 1944.
1930 5143 Cote Brilliante, with wife Helen "Auntie" (age 39) and son William E (age 17). Helen is our great-aunt (who emigrated from Ireland), sister to my grandmother Bridget. With them was also living Patrick J Dunne (age 30), who emigrated from Ireland in 1924 and was not employed. Ern was working as a carpenter.
Samuel N
B.
5 May 1891
1930 5703 Kennerly (own home) with Ireland-born wife Margarett (age 41) and children Elizabeth (14), Samuel Jr (11), Joseph (9), Rosemary (7), Freda (?) (male, 6), Frances (male, 1). Working as a carpenter.
Walter
B. Mar 1893; D. 6 Jun 1963
Walter's Army Card can be seen in the Missouri Archives Soldiers
Database (war of 1812 - World War I). He served on the
Western Front in 1918.
Draft Registration Card (click thumbnail above to enlarge)
1910 Census. Living with parents.
Married Bridget Dunne, 1920 (some time between census on Jan 5 and birth of first son at end of December).
1930 5642 Theodosia Ave, living with wife Bridget and first three children: John (9), Walter (7), and William (5). He was working as a carpenter.
Also living with them was his wife's cousin John Coughlin (age 30), who had emigrated from the Irish Free State in 1928 and was working as a carpenter.
(See also: Private Price in WWI, The Lodge, Bridget takes charge)
According to WT Price, around 1936, Walter and Tab went out on their own. By 1940, they were starting to roll, but because of the threat of World War II, materials became very scarce. They went to work on government projects, first at the TNT plant at Weldon Springs, Missouri, and later at the Granite City Army Engineering Depot, Granite City, Illinois.
Trevor "Tab"
B.
Jun 1896; D. Oct 1966
Tab's
Army Card from the Missouri State Archives. Served in WWI.
Draft registration card (click thumbnail at left to enlarge.)
1930 4748 Spaulding (own home). Working as a carpenter and living with his Ireland-born wife Nellie T, who was older than him (he was 37; she was 44). (The census-taker recorded their name as "Pricer," so it was tricky to find.)
Nellie died young and Tab went on to marry Bernice. They had two daughters, Carol and Patricia.
12.14.05 (revised 7.21.07)
NOTES
[1] From Ancestry.com birth record data.
[2] From Ancestry.com marriage record data.
[3] The Order of St. George was founded in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1836 as a counter to the Irish immigrant coal miners' organization known as the Molly Maguires. See Family History entry on "The Lodge."
[4] Death certificate, from State of Missouri