William Edward was the son of Edward and Elizabeth Pykett (née Marshall).
His father was born in Barnby in the Willows and his mother in Newark. They were married at Newark St Mary Magdalene in June 1871 and had six children who were born in Newark: William Edward birth registered 1872 (J/F/M) bap. St Mary Magdalene 5 May 1872; Charlotte Mary birth registered 1874 (J/F/M), Annie b. 1879, John Charles birth registered 1884 (J/F/M), George Herbert birth registered 1886 (J/F/M) and Robert Henry (Harry) b. 1888.
Edward and Elizabeth were registered at 10 Farndon Row, Newark, on both the 1891 and 1901 census. However, Elizabeth was admitted to Derby Lunatic Asylum and Isolation Hospital in May 1910 and in 1911 her hsuband Edward, a colliery housekeeper, and his sons George (25) a colliery shunter, and Harry (22) no occupation given, were living in Shuttlewood, nr. Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Harry died later that year (reg. Chesterfield).
When William Edward's widow completed a form for the army in 1919 naming her husband's surviving relatives she was unable to give any information about his parents or siblings, 'unknown'. However, his mother, Elizabeth, died at Derby Asylum in 1928.
The break with the family appeared to date back to at least 1900 as when William's brother John enlisted in the Militia in May that year he named his father Edward and brothers George and Harry, all of 10 Farndon Row, as his next of kin. He also gave the name of his elder brother William, but 'address unknown.'
William Edward married Annie Elizabeth Smalley (also Smalley-White) at Newark St Leonard on 25 December 1893. They had had five children by 1911, one of whom had died in infancy or childhood, and subsequently two more children one of whom died in infancy: Lilian b. Newark 1894 bap. St Leonard 1894, Joseph William b. Grantham 1899 (reg. J/F/M) bap. Grantham St Wulfrum 1904, Mabel b. Newark 1902 bap. St Wulfrum 1904, Florence Alice b. Grantham 1904 bap. St Wulfrum 1904, Ivy Eunice b. Newark 1911 (reg. J/F/M 1912) and Cyril b. Lincoln 1915 d. 1916.
In 1901 William, an iron moulder, and Annie were living at 5 New Street, Newark, with their two children Lilian and Joseph William. Also in the household was a boarder, Thomas Felstead, an iron labourer.
By 1911 William and Annie had moved to 3 Queen Street, Newark, where they were living with three of their four surviving children: Joseph, Mabel and Florence. Also in the household was a boarder, Arthur William Sentance (30). The eldest daughter, Lilian, has not yet been traced on the 1911 Census. William and Annie's daughter Ivy was born in December that year and Cyril four years later in 1915; he died the following year.
William enlisted in 1914; he and Annie were living at 5 Blundells Cottages, Waterside South, Lincoln.
His widow was awarded a pension of 23 shillings for herself and the three youngest children, Mabel, Florence and Ivy, with effect from 19 June 1916.
She was then living at 14 Coulthard Terrace, Canwell Road, Lincoln.
Annie provided the following information to the army in 1919 when requested for details of William's surviving blood relatives: Annie and her children Joseph, Mabel, Ivy and Florence of 7 Blundells Court, Waterside South, Lincoln, and Lilian (surname illegible) of Alexandria Road, Aldershot.
Lilian served in the WAAC during the war and had married Reginald George Viney, Petty Officer RNR, of Portsea, Hampshire, at Christ Church, Crookham, Surrey, in March 1918. At the time of her marriage, Lilian was still serving in the WAAC and living in Church Crookham.
Annie may have had another child, Edwin Pykett, in 1918 (reg. J/F/M Lincoln, mother's maiden name White-Smalley). He was recorded on the 1939 England & Wales Register as a boarder in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, where he wa a fish salesman.
In 1939 Annie was living in Lincoln with her unmarried daughter Ivy. Also in the household was Arthur Sentance (b. 1879) an unemployed malster and John Bootham (17) a fishmonger's shop assistant. The record of one other member of the household remains closed. Annie died in 1953.
Two of William's brothers, John Charles and George Herbert, also served in the war; both in the Coldstream Guards. George was killed in action in 1918. (See 'Extra information').