A PRIVATE ARCHIVE OF MEMORIES OF
THE WORTHINGTONS
WILLIAM LOUIS WORTHINGTON
None of the family talk fondly of William Louis Worthington and referred to him as the old man or WLW as he was never a dad to them. Audrey summed it up when she said "There were only two men I hated: my father and Hitler".
He was born in Walthamstow on 31 January 1905 and died of TB on 31 December 1951.
By all accounts his own father (William George Worthington born Stepney 1852) was a bit of a bully. When WLW was a baby his mother, Florence, died of a brain haemorrhage. His father remarried and had more children, I have a note he had eight half siblings, among them George, Richard, Rene and Ivy. When WLW was in his early teens he was sent to France to be educated, possibly to get him out of the way of the new family.
Below is a letter he wrote to Adelaide, (known to her family as Cis) from his hospital bed 8 months before he died.
Dear Cis, I hasten to salute you on this forty fifth anniversary of your birthday. I have sent you no prettily decorated card with silky words, for which I make no apologies, as they can be purchased by any sycophant who has the wherewithal. (I haven't at the moment) and is too idle to write a letter. It is pleasing to observe how your elegance and beauty have defied the ravages of time. May they continue to do so. Your selfless devotion to the children has set a paragon beyond standard comparison for which I am indeed grateful. What more can I say? I will tell you when you are here again. Birthday greetings to sister Winnie coupled with my best wishes for the future. Your most loving WLW
These are the only photos we have of WLW
Adelaide May Wakeling and William Louis Worthington Wedding Day 1930
Back row: George Worthington (WLW 1/2 brother) , William George (WLW father), ?, Uncle Roy, Uncle Ernie, WLW, Adelaide, Grandpa Wakeling, ? maid, Aunt Win, Uncle Alf, maid, Uncle Sid
Front row: WLW stepmother, friend, friend, Aunt Rene, Rene & Ivy (1/2 sisters to WLW), Grandma Wakeling, Aunt Rose
With Iris and Audrey
