Billy tells us that he lived with his mother Millie, father Alfie (who liked a drop of beer or gin), his sisters Mildred and Sarah and their younger brother Micky. He can't remember his surname...but said it was Black or Blackened or something like that. They lived near Marlow, but towards the west. He worked on the river, on the boat, ferrying stuff around, sometimes took stuff to London. He said the name of the boat was Millie, it was named after his mother. He told us that it was a river boat, not a barge, but he doesn't know the size of it because he never measured it! He said he it had to move with the tides, and sometimes they used a sail, but if there was no wind it'd take all bloomin' day! He said he could count but not much, his mother had taught him a bit. His sisters went to Sunday school and learned a bit of stuff there. The priest taught them stuff.
Billy passed when he was nine years old. He had been messing around on the boat and slipped on some boards. He fell into the water and subsequently drowned. He said it was an easy way to go really, although he was scared at the time. He was trying to swim, but probably in the wrong direction because it was all dark. Then he saw light and swam towards it and found he had passed and he was alright. His dad was there to meet him, as he'd died earlier. His dad had been sick when he died. Billy can't remember the date but says that King Charles 1st was on the throne when he was living on the earth plane. He tells us that he felt some reluctance when passing, as after his father passed he had been the man in the house, so he left his mum alone with his brother and sisters, which was difficult.
MARLOW HISTORY: http://www.marlowtown.co.uk/marlhist.html
KING CHARLES 1st: http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page76.asp (1625-1648)
RESEARCH RESOURCE: http://met.open.ac.uk/genuki/big/eng/bkm/
NOTE: Billy has since told us that he was living during the reign of King Charles 2nd. So, we're simply not sure.
