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The England and Wales census of 1871 has him living as a lodger in Carshalton, Surrey, England
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The 1881 census of Highweek parish, Newton-Abbott, England has William,his wife Harriet and William Herbert living in the "gardener's house at Sandford Orleigh Lodge". Also listed as living in the house, as a visitor, was William Burton age 13 born in Middlesex (London) England, possibly Harriet's brother.
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William appearanlty immigrated about 1889 from southern England by himself and then his wife, Harriet and two sons William Herbert and Harold Llewelyn immigrated later in 1890. Harriet died in Febuary of 1891 and William John remarried to Lillian Lewis.
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The city directories of Oakland CA list William John as first living at 1304 10th Ave in 1892 and then 505 E. 11th st. in 1898 and then 377 E. 11th st. until 1912 when Oakland normalized all of it's address numbers. In 1918 he is listed at 1739 10th ave. and in the late 1930's he is listed a living at 826 E. 20th st., the home of his son William Herbert. All of these listings give his occupation as gardener, except in the last he is listed as a foreman for the Oakland Park Dept. He is listed for one time only in 1900 as a butcher at 46 Claremont ave, this may be bogus, but he did work in a butcher shop in his native England as a boy..
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He was certified as a "Local Preacher" by the Methodist Epsicopal Church in Oakland, CA 31 Jan 1892.
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The 1920 census has him living with wife Lillian Z. Graham (60y), Harold L. Graham (33y) and Ray Lewis (50y) (possibly Lillian's brother).
