Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research: Private William Arscott was born on 1 October 1880 in Hampstead, the elder son of William and Frances Arscott. His father was a house painter. The 1881 census shows him living at 37 Downshire Hill, Hampstead, with his parents, younger brother Henry Arscott, a 14 years old female general domestic servant and a 45 years old monthly nurse. The 1891 census shows him living at 40 Downshire Hill, Hampstead, with his parents, his brother, a 14 years old female servant together with one female and two male lodgers. His mother died in early 1901 and the census of that year shows him as a Grocer's Assistant living at 44 Shirlock Road, Hampstead, with his widowed father and his brother.
In 1906 he married Edith Millicent Dowling (1882-1944) in Romsey, Hampshire and they had six children, William Edward Arscott (1906-1999), Cyril Albert Arscott (1907-1991), Elva Millicent Arscott (1910-2010), Leslie Gordon Arscott (1914-1982), Stanley Arthur Arscott (1917-1942) and Lily E. Arscott born 1920. When their second son, Cyril Albert Arscott was baptised on 29 January 1908 at St John's Church, Hampstead, the baptismal register shows his father's occupation as a Carman and the family address as 16 Gardeners Road, Hampstead. The 1911 census shows him as a Grocer's Carman, living with his family at 25 New Buildings, Flask Walk, Hampstead and this address is confirmed in 1912 electoral register. However, electoral registers from 1914 to 1929 show his address to be 26 New Buildings, Flask Walk, Hampstead.
On 11 May 1916 he enlisted in The Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment, Service Number 56064 and the next day was posted to the Army Reserve. He was called up on 10 March 1917 and joined the British Expeditionary Force on 17 March 1917. On 14 May 1917 he was transferred to 132nd Company, Labour Corps, Service Number 78641 and was finally demobilised from the army on 11 April 1919. He was awarded the British War medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal. Electoral registers from 1931 to 1939 show him and his family at 31 New Building, Flask Walk, Hampstead.
The 1939 England and Wales Register shows him as a Builder's General Labourer, living with his wife and three children at 31 New Buildings, Flask Walk, Hampstead. When his wife died at Hammersmith Hospital and was buried at St John's Church, Hampstead on 14 January 1944 the burial register shows the family living at 33 New Buildings, Flask Walk, Hampstead. Electoral registers from 1948 until his death show him living at the same address with his daughter, Elva Millicent, and her husband Edgar Doddington. He died, aged 75 years, and his death was recorded in the 1st quarter of 1956 in the St Pancras Registration District.
