William Stephenson
William Stephenson, taken from a newspaper article
We know that William "Bill" Gordon Stephenson was born in Cramlington on 28 June 1903 and died in April 1960, aged 56.
The 1921 census records him living in Cramlington with his parents, Arthur William Stephenson (1864-1927) and Mary Eleanor Dixon (1860-1946). His sister Rose and brother William also live there.
Rose was to later marry fellow Train Wrecker Arthur Wilson, which made them brothers-in-law.
In the 1921 census, all three Stephenson siblings were listed as single. Bill's occupation was as a surface coal mine labourer.
In April 1925, aged 21, Bill married Ada Thompson (1903-1974).
A young miner
William Stephenson outside his Dudley home with elder brother and parents.
(Image credit: Janette Packer)
Mysteriously, the Ancestry document (below) shows a timeline of his life that records he resided in Newcastle on 8 June 1926, when he was actually committed to prison on 7 June 1926.
In 1926, Bill and Ada's only child, a son, George W. Stephenson (1926-2012), was born on Tynemouth Road (most likely in North Shields).
Bill's parents, Arthur and Mary, are recorded as living in Tynemouth in 1926, so it is highly likely Ada, having no independent means of living without Bill, had moved in with her in-laws in North Shields. Hence, the birth of their son George W. Stephenson at Tynemouth Road.
It's possible George W. Stephenson was born just before his father was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Or he was born just after. Hence, Ada was either heavily pregnant or carrying a babe in arms at the time of Bill's sentencing, aged 22 (he was three weeks shy of his 23rd birthday).
Bill never got to see his only child grow up at the toddler stage. George would have been three years old when Bill was released on 11 July 1929, aged 26.
Bill's father, Arthur, died in June 1927, while Bill was in prison. It is almost certain that Bill wasn't granted or (more likely) probably refused compassionate release to attend the funeral.
After release, Bill returned to Wrightson Pit - alongside the traitors who'd turned King's evidence. Other than that, we know little about Bill after his release except - from the Ancestry timeline - in 1939, Bill and Ada (and George, now 12 or 13) were living in Northumberland (most likely Cramlington).​
William Gordon Stephenson's Ancestry timeline and record in the 1921 census.
(With thanks to Brian Ridley)