William Broughton was born on 20 January 1887 in Cromer, Norfolk, the third of the four children of James William Broughton (1852-1922) and Emily Broughton née Blogg (1854-1891). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1887 in the Erpingham registration district, Norfolk.
He was described as a scholar, aged 4 years in the 1891 census, living at 2 Runton Road, Cromer, the home of his widowed maternal grandmother, Phoebe Bloggs (1823-1905) who was listed as living on her own means, together with his parents and two elder sisters: Martha Ellen Broughton (1881-1972) and Alice Margery Broughton (b.1884) who were both shown as scholars. His father was described as a carpenter and joiner.
His mother died in childbirth when his sister Emily Broughton (1891-1965) was born. His father was married a second time, on 11 October 1894, to Louisa Bushell (1864-1961) in Cromer, Norfolk. They went on to have two sons: George Arthur Broughton (1895-1983) and John Edward Broughton (1901-1984).
In the 1901 census he was described as a telegraph messenger, aged 14 years, living at Seaman’s Villas, Lower Sheringham, Norfolk, with his father, who was listed as a carpenter, his step-mother, two sisters: Martha and Emily and his step-brother George.
On 8 June 1903 he was promoted to Temporary Postman and was paid 16 shillings per week. In February 1905 he was appointed as a Sub Office Postman at Sheringham Corner and on 1 April 1905 he was confirmed as a Postman at Sheringham Sub Office, Cromer, on a wage scale of 16/- to 23/- per week.
When the 1911 census was undertaken he was shown as a postman, single, aged 24 years, living in a five roomed property at 2 Weston Street, Sheringham, with his father who described himself as a carpenter, his step-mother and his two step-brothers: George, who had no occupation and John who was listed as a schoolboy.
On 4 May 1913 he was transferred as a Postman (London) Division I on a wage scale of 19/- to 35/- per week to the Western District Office, Rathbone Place, London, W1 and lived in Bayswater, London. On 25 May 1913 his wage scale was increased to 19/- to 36/- per week and on 2 February 1914 to 19/- to 43/- per week.
In late 1914 he joined the 1st/8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), service number 2455, and entered France on the 18th March 1915. He was killed in action, aged 29 years, on 20 May 1916, during the German attack at Hell's Valley, Vimy Ridge, Pas de Calais, France and he has no known grave he is commemorated on Bay 10, Course E, Stone 1, of the Arras Memorial, located in the Faubourg d'Amiens British Cemetery, Boulevard du General de Gaulle, 62000 Arras, France.
His army effects totalling £9-19s-11d were sent to his father on 2 September 1916 who was also granted administration of his estate on 4 January 1917 in which his effects totalled £197 10s-0d. His £7-10s-0d war gratuity was sent to his father on 25 August 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'BROUGHTON, W.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1 and as 'WILLIAM BROUGHTON' on both the Sheringham and Beeston Regis war memorial at The Boulevard, Sheringham, NR26 8LJ and the Broughton family grave memorial in the All Saints' Church burial ground, Beeston Regis, Cromer, NR27 9QZ.
He is also commemorated on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on page 48 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920 and incorrectly, (as at 2024), on the Commonwealth War Grave Commission's website, which shows him as the son of Louisa Broughton. He was not her son but instead he was her step-son.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
