William Moxon was born in 1808 in Wakefield, Yorkshire. He was the son of Michael and Ann Moxon and a younger brother of the successful publisher Edward Moxon. William, like his three brothers and four sisters came from humble beginnings as we have seen in the account of Edward Moxon's life but the early success of his brother Edward gave the younger siblings of the family an advantage in their education.
It is clear from census returns that the entire family, father, mother and the seven children were living in comfort in London from the early 1820s. The address was 105 Ebury Street, Eaton Square and the imposing Georgian terrace still stands.
Although father Michael is portrayed as "merchant" in the census return of 1831 it is doubtful that he could have put his wool cropping skills to use in the capital. Edward was supporting the family and was paying for his younger brothers education. William worked hard and the age of thirty-two was entered at the Middle Temple in 1840 and was called to the bar in 1843.
As a barrister William seems to have been very successful, to the extent of having a large house built on Putney Heath in 1849. Tudor Lodge was an impressive building but for some unknown reason he seems to never have lived there. Edward, Emma and his extended family made their home there while William's address remained 105 Ebury Street.
William married late, a wealthy widow Anne Furbank, from Bingley, Yorkshire. After his brother Edward's death in 1858 he took an active part in the administration of the Moxon publishing business but his bullish nature wasn't appreciated by Tennyson, with whom William had a few skirmishes.
The last thirty-five years of his life was spent in Warwickshire. He became Justice of the Peace for Warwickshire and Worcestershire and lived the life of a country squire in a large house in the small Cotswold town of Tidmington. As you can see from the picture above William was a prominent member of the North Cotswold Hunt.
William's wife Anne died on a visit to London, on 13th July 1887. The death certificate gives the place of death as The Buckingham Palace Hotel, Pimlico. William died a few months later in November of the same year. He left most of his estate to his nephew Henry Paulton, of whom we know little. Over night Henry Paulton became a very wealthy man, William and Anne left a total estate of £30840, equivalent today to several million pounds.