William was the illegitimate son of Mary Reed, baptized at Hinxhill in November 1808. Sophia was born at Sellinge (or possibly Hythe) c1823, daughter of Thomas Young, a cooper.
William and Sophia were married at Smeeth, Kent in November 1846
Four and a half years later, in the 1851 census they were recorded as living at Homewood Farm, Willsborough, but with no children.
In 1861 they were still at Willesborough, with two children and in 1871 only William and two daughters were at Yew Tree House, Willesborough whilst Sophia was staying at 23 Marsh Street Willesborough as a monthly nurse with Prussian born hairdresser/tobacconist Rudolph Rochenberg and his young family.
In 1881 Sophia was still a monthly nurse, but this time to their daughter Ann E and husband mariner Mathew Bedlington and one month old granddaughter Ann who were living with Willliam and Sophia in Canterbury Place, Willesborough. Matthew was a witness to his sister-in-law Sophia's marriage in 1887 but by 1891 Ann and two other children were still living with William and Sophia - in four rooms in Poor Cottages - whilst Matthew was enumerated in Robin Hoods Bay, Fylingdales Yorkshire with his widowed mother, and is described as unmarried! He was still in Fylingdales in 1901, married with two young children but no wife present.
William was mostly described as a labourer or 'Ag-Lab' but in 1881 at the age of 72 he was a Licenced Hawker and in 1891 was in receipt of Poor Relief. He died Q2 1893 aged 84 and Sophia died April 1896 in Willesborough workhouse aged 74.
This is an on-going line of research and I still have a lot of records to look at.
Known children of William and Sophia: