Life History

25th Oct 1881	Born in 11, Glenarvon Road, Hackney.
6th May 1883	Baptised at St. John's Walworth.

Notes

The birth certificate for William has 'Camilla' as his middle name.
Perhaps this was meant to be 'Camillo' - the name which appears in his baptism record.

In the 1891 census, is shown as: William C., aged 9 yrs .

We know very little about William other than family history that he "disappeared in Africa" probably working on South African Railways and that he possibly "married twice".

Christine Drewry, his niece, daughter of James, left a note: "Billy Drewry married in South Africa. Children 2? (deceased)".

Civil & Etherington (p.24), in their description of the early years of the Drewry Car Co, record that "On 23rd December 1908, .. Mr W Drewry (a family member of the former owners) was awarded a bonus of £20 in consideration of the 'good results obtained from the cars running on the Leopoldine Railway' which he had commissioned in Brazil."

(For more on the Drewry Car Co see: Charles Stewart Drewry.)

In 1908 Charles Stewart was Chairman of the Drewry Car Co and the co-founder, James S Drewry, had moved to Baguley motors as a designer, so Civil & Etherington are correct in referring to them as 'the former owners'. Charles Stewart was now a major shareholder and remained chairman of the company until his death in 1929. It seems very likely that William and other members of the family worked on behalf of the company from time to time.

GRO

Births Dec 1881, Drewry William Camilla F, Hackney, 1b 558 (Certificate: 'William Camilla Fava')