I knew William Nield was Billy Button, but had no idea how common the nickname was - fascinating stuff - thank you.
I guess the only question now is - which William Nield was Billy Button? Was it Clement William Nield (b. Uttoxeter 1853), or was it William Clement Nield (b. Uttoxeter 1854)?! These two, who both went by the name William and only sometimes using the name Clement, have been easily mixed up by researchers (including myself, leading to me going down the wrong road a fair bit early on).
Clement William (1853) was the son of Charles Nield and Mary Ann Grundy, and Mary, in turn, was the daughter of Clement Grundy and his second wife, Mary Fenton. Clement's first wife was Ann Smith, and she was the mother of John Grundy - married to Maria Hodgkins for less than a day.
Maria Hodgkins remarried to Thomas Nield and was the mother of William Clement Nield (1854), later adopted by Josiah Hodgkins and Ann Smallwood. Why he should use the name Clement I'm not sure. It is this second William I believe to be Billy Button, as he was said to be 26 years old in 1881. He married Rosanna Wright in 1885.
Clement William married Hannah Mitchell in 1880, so probably wasn't in a gang of lads attacking Irish men for tobacco in 1881 (not impossible, of course, it's just a gang is more the environment for a bachelor ...)
A point of interest - when Charles Nield married Mary Ann Grundy in Uttoxeter in 1845, one of the witnesses was Obadiah Mayer, the grandson of the elder Obadiah, and the son of William Mayer and Ann Johnson. I believe William Mayer may have remarried to an Ann Nield.
To stir further - when Obadiah married Catherine Fennity in 1852, one of the witnesses was 'Caroline Blewer', and this is very likely to be Caroline Hodgkinson, daughter of William Hodgkinson and Elizabeth Mear (read Mayer), and who married a John Bloor (read Blewer) in 1850.
There is a another Clement who is stated as being related, he is one of the Crutchleys who are themselves interwoven with all names that are linked within all the stories told down through the years and the lifes of these peoples from in and around Uttoxeter, the name Clement could be a clue that links several families.
Derby Daily Telegraph - 03 December 1891
Petty Sessions, Wednesday.—Before Captain Dawson. Charge of Cutting and Wounding.—Clement Crutchley, labourer, of Uttoxeter. Appeared in custody charged with having caused bodily injury to his brother-in law, John Neild, Saturday evening last. —The police stated that on hearing of a disturbance at Crutchley's house, they went and found Neild lying in a semi- conscious state, covered with blood, and with cuts upon his face which had been stitched by a doctor. Upon the floor there were broken crockery and an open pocket-knife.—John Nield himself said he went into his sister's house and saw her husband (Crutchley) fighting. He took her part, and struck prisoner, but was himself knocked down, and, falling upon the sharp corner of a sofa, he cut his face and caused the injury.—Mr. Wilkins. appeared for Crutchley, and submitted that there was really no case for him answer.-—The police, however, said they had expected two witnesses who saw the affair, but they had not appeared.—The case was adjourned until next Court day for the witnesses to attend.
Burton Chronicle - 17 December 1891
The charge against Clement Crutchley for the alleged wounding of his brother-in-law, was withdrawn…………
Thank you MeirSoul for finding and putting on here the story of Clara Neild, a great story of a great Lady
