William John Laflin was born on 20th September 1866 in Ealing, Middlesex and the birth was registered in Brentford in the last quarter of 1866. At this time, John Jonathan was described as a builder’s labourer.

He has not yet been found in 1871. In 1881, William Laftin (aged 14 and working as a hatter's boy) was living at 12 St Matthews Road, Ealing with Old Brentford with his parents and brothers. He had been born in Ealing.

In 1891, William Laflin was living at 12 St Matthews Road, Twyford Abbey, Ealing, Middlesex with his parents. He was unmarried, aged 24 and working as a bricklayer.

In the last quarter of 1891, William John Laflin married Roseanna Bell in Brentford. Their son Edward William Laflin was born in Brentford in the third quarter of 1895 and their son Albert George Laflin was born there in the first quarter of 1898.

In 1901, Roseanna and William J. Laflin were living at 15 Vesmelin Road, Ealing and William was working as a bricklayer. With them were their two sons, Edward Wm (aged 5) and Alfred Geo (aged 3) - both had been born in Ealing.

In 1998, I was contacted by Nigel John Laflin, the grandson of Albert George Laflin, who gave the following account of this family:-

“William John Laflin was born at 11 St Mary Place, Ealing in 1866 and married Roseanna Bell in Brentford in 1891. They had two sons, Edward William and Albert George. William John worked as a bricklayer, but spent the last few years of his life in an Asylum. He died in December 1940 in Ealing.

Edward William Laflin was born in the autumn of 1895 and joined the 1st/8th Bn of the Middlesex regiment. He died on 1st July 1916 and was buried in the Hebuterne Military Cemetery in the Pas de Calais.

His brother Albert George Laflin was born on 9th January 1898 and served in the Veterinary Corps during the First World War. He married Hilda May Harris on 16th May 1922 in Ealing. After the war, he worked on the London Underground, finishing as station master at Piccadilly Circus, but retired early due to ill health. They had two children, Edward Frank and Edna May. Around 1950, they moved to Castle Donington, Leicester to be near their son and then in 1962 they moved to Lympne in Kent to be near their daughter. Albert died on 7th September 1962. His widow Hilda spent the last years of her life at Rose Cottage in Ewhurst, Surrey and died there in 1975”.

Sources for this section.

Civil Registration Indexes available online from FreeBMD
Civil Registration Indexes and Census Data available online from Findmypast
Private Communication from Nigel John Laflin.

Page maintained by Susan Laflin. Last updated in December 2007.