William Henry Facey was the son of William and Annie Facey who lived at 61 St John Street opposite St John the Baptist church and down the hill from St Giles Hill graveyard. According to the 1881 census William Henry was born in October 1880. The family lived in St Johns street for a long period being recorded as living there on 2 April 1911 as well as the 1924 electoral register. William Henry’s father was a painter and decorator.
William joined the army in Winchester in 1900 (See Debt of Honour by Jen Best page 68). In 1901 Sapper William Henry Facey, 5510, Royal Engineers was living in the garrison at Colchester, Essex.
In August 1907 William Henry Facey and Mabel Annie Bishop were married in Winchester. A year later, Mabel gave birth to their daughter, Gladys Mabel Facey, on 3 May 1908 in Winchester.
By the time of the next UK Census in 1911, William was 30 years of age and had risen to the rank of Corporal, G Company, Royal Engineers. He was based at Kingston Barracks, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, England. His trade is stated as whitesmith (or tinsmith – someone who finishes and polishes after the smith).
On 7 November 1913 Mabel gave birth to a son, Philip Leslie Facey, in Milton-Next-Gravesend, Holy Trinity, Kent.
The family continued to live in the Gravesend area but on 4 August 1916, Foreman of Works Staff Sergeant Facey died suddenly aged 35 years.
The Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph newspaper (12/8/1916) reported his death.
DEATH OF STAFF-SERGT. FACEY
“We regret to record the death of Staff-Sgt. William Henry Facey, foreman of works, Royal Engineers who had been in the Army some 18 years, four of which he spent at Gravesend. He was for some time on the Gold Coast where he contracted a malady which was the cause of his death on Friday. It was thought that he had practically recovered, and he was taking a walk in Brunswick Road when he had to suddenly return home. Shortly afterwards he passed away. The body was removed lo Winchester, his native place, on Wednesday, the band of the Suffolk Regiment playing the Dead March as the remains, drawn on a gun carriage, were taken to the railway station. Detachments of the Suffolk Regiment, the Royal Engineers, and the London Electrical Engineers, were present. There were wreaths from military and civilian friends. A widow and two children are left to mourn their loss.”
Staff Sergeant Facey’s pension records indicate he died as a result of a liver abscess accompanied by haemoptysis (coughing up blood). These records appear to indicate that his widow, Mabel, and the children, Gladys and Philip, moved back to Winchester. According to the 1929 electoral poll register Mabel was living at 25 East Street. In 1939 she was still living there with her 31-year-old daughter who was a shorthand typist. Mabel appears to have continued to live in Winchester until her death in 1968 and did Gladys who dies in 1982.
The grave of William Henry Facey can be found to the east of the main entrance path.
William George and Annie Louisa Facey are also buried in St Giles Hill graveyard.
We are indebted for more of this information to CWCG in particular Stuart Adlam.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Dave Stewart Email dave@stgileshill.org.uk if you have any questions, corrections or additional information that could be added to this page.
