Name: William Lewis
Registration Year: 1867
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Portsea Island hampshire could this be his birth??
There is also a death in the following quarter, William Lewis aged 0.
In 1871 there is a William Albert Lewis aged 5 living with father Henry aged 45, pensioner. Mother was Jane aged 46. Siblings Eliza Jane 15, Louisa Fanny 15 & Sarah Ann 10.
There is a death in Portsea in 1880 of a Jane Lewis aged 56, and a very long & sad newspaper report about the inquest into her death, headed "Alleged Starvation at Portsea" (Hampshire Telegraph 15 May 1880). Her husband was Henry Lewis, a naval pensioner receiving £2/month and "a great drunkard".
In brief she was admitted to the workhouse from her home at Nunn's Court, Southampton Road at her own request in a 'near death' state of emaciation. She also had pain in her side from where (she said) her husband had ill used her. She died the following day.
A neighbour said the family had lived there about three years and consisted of the husband, wife, and a son of about 14. A few days earlier Jane had told the neighbour that her husband had hit her on her right side and on her head, and since early April she had been short of food. It seems Henry had spent it all on drink & so the neighbours were helping her & her son with food. The daughters were stated to not be living in Portsmouth, although one had visited on Saturday.
Henry did not bother to attend the inquest, and although it was found that Jane died of consumption, the jury unanimously added a rider that they considered Henry had been guilty of "unmanly and brutal conduct" towards her.
From this I'd say the 1881 "orphan" is probably your William, and that this is his birth:
William A Lewis, Jan-Mar 1866, Portsea, Vol 2b page 424
The Naval pensioner in the workhouse is almost certainly his father and I see is listed as a pauper. Doesn't sound a nice chap, does he?
