William's father was George Augustus Walmisley, gentleman. His mother was Ann nee Bryant. William was born on 14 October 1851 and baptised at St Matthew's, Brixton, London, on 7 November.
By the time of the 1871 Census, he had just begun a military career as a Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment (the 38th foot) on 28 October 1871, became a Sub-Lieutenant on 1 November1871 and a Lieutenant soon after. In January 1873 he was transferred to the 80th foot. The Regiment was sent to Hong Kong on the 15 October. He also served in South Africa and received the South Africa Medal in 1901. He was in the Mafeking Town Guard and commanded an Armoured Train. He reached the rank of Captain but resigned his commission on 26 July 1876.
On 23 August 1880 he married Sophia Rothery, the daughter of a maltster, at Ripley in Yorkshire. Strangely enough, however, she was still shown at home with her parents in the 1881 Census and described as unmarried. William and Sophia's first child, Ethel Mary Neelie was baptised at St John's Anglican Church, Wynberg, South Africa, in 1882, Their son, Norris William Deane was baptised at Harrogate, Yorkshire, in 1884 and another daughter, Anne Dorothy, was privately baptised at Enfield. Surrey in 1888. There was a fourth child, not found.
In the 1891 Census Sophia and William, the manager of a disinfectant company, were living at 79, Mount Pleasant Road, Lewisham. At some point in the next ten years they separated, for in the 1901 Census Sophia was the head of her own household at Peterborough in Northamptonshire. She is described as married and the manageress of a laundry. Living with her are her daughter, Ethel, her father, William, and a boarder, William E Paul, a single man, who all helped in the laundry. Sophia's mother also lived there.
The whereabouts of William Henry Walmisley could not be found. In the 1911 Census he was at Ashford House, Rowlands Road, Worthing, with his cousin, Fanny Alberta Clift, described as his nurse. William Henry died on 30 April 1913 at Milton Cottage, Milton Street, Worthing, leaving £32 3s 8d to Sophia.
Meanwhile, in 1911, Sophia, still manageress of a laundry, was a visiting her sister and brother-in-law at Friarwood House, Pontefract. The Census reveals that Sophia and William Henry had four children and only one was still living. In April 1923 Sophia re-married. Her husband was William Edmund Paul, who if you remember was the laundry engineer boarding in Sophia's household at Peterborough in 1901. Sophia died 5 years later on 6 April 1928 in Brighton leaving the handsome sum of £1519 10s 10d to William Edmund.