William SAVIN 1907-1983

William James Savin¹, known as Bill, was born on 17th July 1907 and was baptised on 15th September 1907 at St Mary church, Willesden². He attended Gibbons Secondary Modern School in Harlesden. Here he started to show his sporting abilities by playing for the school's football team as pictured below.

In his school football kit about 1920

 

Following in the family footsteps he started work on 5th May 1922 for the Metropolitan Railway³. His first post was as a signal box boy at Moorgate on a wage of 16 shillings a week. A year later on 13th August 1922 he became a junior porter at Rayners Lane at which time his weekly wage increased to a pound. He was then transferred to Eastcote, Ruslip Manor and then Wembley Park. On 3rd March 1929 he was reported for being late for duty however on 17th July he was appointed porter with a wage of two pounds and two shillings.

 



Bill, far left, with a winning LT cricket team 





Bill regularly played cricket for the Metropolitan Railway team⁴ against local teams  like Golders Green,  Hendon and Hurlingham Oddfellows from at least 1930 to 1939. He may have played before these dates but the previous records just record the name Savin without any initials so it could have been his brother. Over the years he went up the batting order to become an opener and was also useful as a bowler.

  

Bill and Ede



 

After serving a period at Willesden Green Bill  was appointed temporary guard at Neasden on one pound and 13 shillings on 1st May 1933 despite two further occasions of being late. A month later the Metropolitan Railway was amalgamated and became part of London Transport. On 30th April 1934 he was passed as a guard and thereafter served at his previous stations as well as Hammersmith and Finsbury Park.

Bill & Ede's wedding 1935



Bill married Ede on 1st July 1935 at the now former Roundwood Mission in Longstone Avenue,  Willesden. They shortly afterwards  moved into 58 Rucklidge Avenue, Harlesden⁵. By September 1939  Bill was a motorman on the Underground still living in Rucklidge Avenue⁶. After the war in 1946 they had moved to 131, Randall Avenue, Willesden, had a daughter called Kay and were still there in 1965.   
 

Bill with daughter Kay



   Upon Bill's retirement they moved to the Isle of Wight and are recorded at Seaspray, St. Catherine's View, Ventor in 1970⁷. They were still there in 1983 when Bill died on 4th July⁸.

 

 

1. The information and photos were supplied by Kay, Bill's daughter in 2012 and 2017 and the last photo by nephew Tony, except as indicated below

 

2. Church of England parish registers, London Metropolitan Archives.

 

3. Employment details are from the Metropolitan Railway, Register of Uniform Staff No. 15, Transport for London Corporate Archive.

 

4. Cricket details are from reports in the Hendon and Finchley Times newspaper, 1930 to 1939, and West London Observer 1930, British Library

 

5. The Electoral Roll for Willesden, 1936 to 1965, London Metropolitan Archives 

 

6. The 1939 Register, The National Archives

 

7. Portsmouth and IOW telephone directory 1970, BT archives.

 

8. National Probate Calendar