William Leonard York was born on 30 March 1886 in St John's Wood, Middlesex (now Greater London), the 3rd of the five children of William York (1854-1908) and Jane York nèe Taylor (1857-1892). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1886 in the Chelsea Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London).
On 24 April 1886 he was baptised at St Jude's Church, Lancefield Street, Kensal Green, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the baptismal register his date of birth is confirmed, that his family were living at 118 Fifth Avenue, Kensal Green and that his father was a painter.
He was shown as aged 5 years in the census that was undertaken on 5 April 1891. He was living in a four roomed property at 131 Herries Street, Queens Park, London, with his parents and his four siblings: George York (1883-1932); Robert Taylor York (1884-1943); John Henry York (1888-1951) and Arthur Thomas York (1890-1891). His father was listed as a house painter.
In late 1892 his mother died and his father remarried on 28 October 1893 at West Hampstead parish church to a Jeannie Anderson Miller (1861-1945). They lived at 123 Sumatra Road, Queens Park.
He was described as aged 15 years and a telegraph messenger in the census that was compiled on 31 March 1901. He was living at 61 Broomsleigh Street, West Hampstead, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his father, his stepmother, two of his brothers: George York - a railway messenger and Robert Taylor York - also a railway messenger, his half-brother, John Miller York (1898-1967) and his half sister, Maggie Henry York (1900-1967). His father continued to be listed as a house painter.
British Postal Service Appointment Books show he was appointed as an assistant postman in March 1904 in West London and this is confirmed in the London Gazette dated 8 April 1904. In August 1904 he was promoted to the grade of Postman in London's Western District Office.
On 23 April 1910 he married Lilas Wilkins Smith (1884-1919) at St John's Congregational Church in Croydon, Surrey (now Greater London).
When he completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he described himself as aged 25 years and a postman employed by the General Post Office. He was living with his wife in a four roomed property at 53 Northborough Road, Norbury, Surrey (now Greater London). On 17 September 1911 their son, William Andrew Smith York (1911-1983), was born.
(our picture source) states that in September 1914 he was a Post Office official at the Western District Office and when recruits were called from that department he immediately volunteered and joined the Post Office Rifles. He was a Private in the 1st/8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), service number 2482 and entered France on 18 March 1915. Promoted to Corporal, he was killed in action, aged 29 years, on 24 May 1915 and was , at the Post Office Rifles Cemetery, 673 Rue de Béthune, 62149 Festubert, France.
On 6 July 1915 Royal Mail sent his £100-1s-2d Post Office gratuity for his 10 years and 9 months service to his widow. On 4 December 1915 administration of his estate, totalling £256-17s-6d, was granted to his widow and on 19 January 1916 she was also sent his army effects totalling £1-14s-11d. She remarried in 1917 to a Frederick James Bunn but died on 14 April 1919 so that when the £4-0s-0d war gratuity to whom the the family were entitled was awarded on 19 May 1919 it was not immediately paid. Eventually on 15 November 1922 a sum of £2-13s-4d was paid to the guardian of his son, a Mrs A. C Pressley. The balance of £1-6s-8d was retained by the government. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'YORK, W. L.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the , on the and on .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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