William's father was called CLARKE WILKINSON (born 1843 Welbourn Lincolnshire) his mother Rosina. They married in Sheffield in the September quarter of 1875 and William was their first child according to the 1881 Census (see below). Clarke's occupation is given as a brewer's drayman.

First name(s) William Clarke
Last name Wilkinson
Gender Male
Birth year - Birth place -
Baptism year 1879
Baptism date 24 Sep 1879
Place Brightside County Yorkshire Country England
Father's first name(s) Charlie
Father's last name Wilkinson
Mother's first name(s) Rosina Mother's last name -
Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975

Clarke and Rosina do not feature in the 1891 Census. The reason is straight forward - they died. They are buried together in Sheffield's Burngreave Cemetery

WILKINSON, Clarke (Carter, age 37).
Died at 2-2 Blackmore Street; Buried on December 29, 1889 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 14, Section G6 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: 11883.

WILKINSON, Rosina (Widow, age 44).
Died at 2ct, 2 Blackmore Street; Buried on April 22, 1890 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 14, Section G6 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.
Parent or Next of Kin if Available: . Remarks: 11883/45514.

According to the 1891 Census William then went to stay with his aunt and uncle in Stoke Street. He was of course orphaned by that time.

Name Wm Clarke Wilkinson
Age 11 Estimated Birth Year abt 1880
Relation Nephew Gender Male
Where born Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Civil parish Attercliffe cum Darnall
Ecclesiastical parish Emmanuel County/Island Yorkshire Country England
Registration district Sheffield 
ED, institution, or vessel 11 Piece 3839 Folio 39 Page number 17
Household Members 
Name Age
George Heid 39
Jane Heid 35
John Heid 15
Elizabeth Heid 12
George Heid 10
Millicent Heid 7
Wm Clarke Wilkinson 11

But the census does not tell the story of what happened after he was orphaned. He was then sent to the workhouse and it was whilst he was there, that he was "adopted" by an upper class couple who lived in the comfortable surroundings of Ranmoor. A far cry from Sheffield's east end where William had spent the first ten years of his life. The term  "adoption" should be used carefully in this context - he was in fact "a boy in buttons" who was in effect a child servant to the family. But for William his time at Ranmoor was one of fear, pain and degradation. The family who "adopted" him were cruel social degenerates who acted disgracefully on numerous occasions. 

I have covered the torment that William endured in the article

A Despicable Case of Child Cruelty and Abuse - Ranmoor, Sheffield

But I always wanted to know what happened to William after he escaped the clutches of the Pochin family. Well the 1891 census states quite clearly that he went to live with his uncle, aunt and cousins in Stoke Street in the Darnall district of Sheffield. Not Ranmoor but infinitely safer

Stoke Street at the junction of Attercliffe Road Sheffield

He was still living at Stoke Street when he married Elizabeth Lyne in 1900.

Their first house for want of a better word was on Attercliffe Road

Age 21 Estimated Birth Year abt 1880
Relation to Head Head
Gender Male
Spouse Elizabeth Wilkinson
Birth Place Brightside Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Civil parish Attercliffe cum Darnall
Ecclesiastical parish Attercliffe Christchurch
County/Island Yorkshire Country England
Registration district Sheffield Sub-registration district Attercliffe
ED, institution, or vessel 17 Piece 4384 Folio 44 Page number 2 Household schedule number 8 Household Members 
Name Age
William C Wilkinson 21
Elizabeth Wilkinson 22

By 1911 the couple had moved to Wilfred Road in Darnall

Name William Clarke Wilkinson
Age in 1911 31
Estimated Birth Year abt 1880
Relation to Head Head Gender Male
Birth Place Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Civil parish Sheffield County Yorkshire-West Riding Country England
Street Address 35 Wilfred Road Darnall Sheffield
Marital Status Married Occupation General Labourer
Registration district Sheffield Registration District Number 510 Sub-registration district Attercliffe ED, institution, or vessel 34 Piece 28022
Household Members 
Name Age
William Clarke Wilkinson 31
Elizabeth Wilkinson 31
Vincent Wilkinson 9

They also had a son Vincent who was born in 1902. The 1911 census that was completed by William also states that the couple had lost a child. After searching I found this record in the National Burial Index

First name(s) WILLIAM CLARKE
Last name WILKINSON
Birth year 1909
Death year 1909
Age 0
Burial year 1909
Burial day 9
Burial month 10
Place SHEFFIELD ATTERCLIFFE
Church description MUNICIPAL CEMETERY
County Yorkshire, Yorkshire (West Riding) England
Record set National Burial Index for England & Wales

He was named after his father but did not make it to his first birthday. In fact according to the burial record for Attercliffe Cemetery he lived less than 1 hour. He was buried on the same day as he was born 9th October 1909. The grave reference is D2625C 

And that is where I lost track of William and his family for nearly 30 years. That is until I discovered this entry in the 1939 National Register. They were still living in Wilfred Road Darnall Sheffield but they did have another son Douglas who was born in 1913.  

Both William and Elizabeth survived the war but Elizabeth died in February 1951 and is buried in Sheffield's Tinsley Park Cemetery

First name(s) ELIZABETH
Last name WILKINSON
Birth year 1879
Death year 1951
Age 72
Burial year 1951
Burial day 15
Burial month 2
Place SHEFFIELD, TINSLEY Church description PARK MUNICIPAL CEMETERY County Yorkshire, Yorkshire (West Riding) Country England

The address given on the burial record is 32 Wilfred Road Darnall and the grave reference ZA16gp

William lived another 4 years but he died at the age of 76 in the City General Hospital. His address at the time of his death was 32 Wilfred Road. He is buried with Elizabeth

First name(s) William Clarke
Last name Wilkinson
Age 76
Birth year 1879
Burial year 1955
Burial date 27 Oct 1955
Burial place Tinsley Park Cemetery, Sheffield County Yorkshire (West Riding) England
Archive reference 9 Record set Yorkshire Burials Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records

Sources

UK Census

Find My Past

National Burial Index