William Mackness (younger brother of my great-grandfather Robert Mackness) was born in Edgeware, London on 4 June 1876. In 1896 he married Caroline Eacott (1874-1968), the sister of Annie Eacott who married my great-grandfather Robert Mackness. In the 1901 census William, then aged 24, was an ironmonger - in 1907 he was a stonemason. William Mackness died in West Ham in 1932, aged 55.
William and Caroline Mackness had twelve children - many of whom died young . Dates of death are known for 8 of the 12 children . Of these 8 children for whom I have years of both birth and death , one died in childhood at the age of 6, and five died between the ages of 18 and 29. The remaining two are Harold Robert who lived to be 66 and Violet Carrie (the first born of the 12 children) who lived to be 91. Of those who died young many, if not all, are believed to have died from tuberculosis. The twelve children of William and Caroline Mackness were:

(1) Violet Carrie (born Stratford, 1897) married Herbert M Meyer in 1923 and had one child. Violet died in 1988.

(2) Dorothy Gladys (born Upton Park, 1899) died in West Ham in 1920, aged 21.

(3) Marion Kate (born Upton Park, 1900) died in 1929, aged 29.

(4) George Christopher (born West Ham, 1902). Nothing else is known.

(5) Ivy (born 1902). Nothing else is known. Possibly a twin sister of George Christopher also born in 1902.

(6) William Stanley (born West Ham, 1906) died in 1925 aged 19.

(7) Harold Robert (born West Ham, 9 July 1907) married Lilian R. Buckell (1906-1997) in 1931 and had three children. He died in 1973.

(8) Kathleen May (born Forest Gate, 21 December 1908) died in 1930 aged 21.

(9) Edward James (born West Ham, 1909). Nothing else is known.

(10) Frederick (born West Ham, 1910) died in West Ham in 1929 aged 18.

(11) Olive (born West Ham, 1912) married William J. Davey in 1936. Nothing else is known.