Peter Child of West Hunsbury, Northampton, writes: William Robert Slade was my grandfather on my mother's side.  He was a bit of an entrepreneur, ending up a Billiard Hall Proprietor in Watford. I would like to locate the address if possible and any other information relating to him?

I assume that the dates that you give represent the period when he ran the Billiard Hall. If this is the case he was presumably born before 1901 - so you can look for him online in the 1901 census - and I assume you are already getting his birth and marriage certificates - if you do not already have that information.

For the period he was running the Billiard Hall the best sources would be the Watford Street Directories for the period. I do not have access to them - but there is a good collection in the Local Studies Section of the Watford Central Library (contact details on the Herts County Council web site) which is not far from Northamptonshire on the train. The librarian there may well be able to suggest other sources. You may also find it helpful to contact the Watford Observer, and ask if anyone remembers the Billard Hall.

There is a web page for Watford on this site.

March 2003

Peter Child  writes: Thank you for the message on my question relating to the 'Slade' name, I have now located the Billiard Hall in Watford.