William JOYES, third son of Richard and Elizabeth, left his parents' farm in Shipley with ambitions for a life in commerce. As a young man he worked as an assistant, learning the drapery trade in a store in East Street, Chichester, before marrying in 1854. His bride was Caroline Hale, born about 1831. She was a daughter of John and Martha Hale, who ran a butchery business in West Street, Midhurst. William was employed as a hosier in the East Sussex town of Hastings, at the time of the birth of their first child, William John Hale Joyes, born in 1855. Soon after the baby’s arrival, the couple returned to Midhurst, where the infant was christened. By 1861 William had become a master draper, with a business in North Street, Midhurst and by this time he and Caroline had three young sons.	Postcard view of Midhurst
A decade on saw him still in North Street, Midhurst, but now the owner of a stationers shop – and he had become the town's Postmaster! This was a time when telegrams and the use of telephones began to flourish as a form of communication. Obviously William had an eye for future business opportunities. By 1891, besides family members helping in the shop, William employed two young men [lodged with the family] in his postal telegraph department. When 1901 census details were taken for his North Street address, William was widower; but still surrounded by several of his children. At 72 years he had expanded his business interests to selling clothing and china & glass merchandise. Albert, Percy and Walter were all shop assistants, while George had taken over the position of Postmaster with Caroline a stationer assistant. Eventually the post office part of the business was sold. Some of his sons married and were drawn away by other employment prospects. A 1911 trade directory still gives William's name as a draper of North Street; but also owner of a fish shop at Rumbolds Hill. He died in 1914, wife Caroline having predeceased him in 1899.	Another postcard showing the Swan Inn

The children of William and Caroline William John Hale born 1855 in Hastings, married Lilian Newton in Islington, London in 1884. They had a daughter Ethel, baptised in Midhurst, and two sons, Archibald and Stanley, all born in London. At one time William J H Joyes was said to be assistant-superintendent of the telegraph department of the Midhurst post office; but when he died 28 January 1930, his address was 86 Limes Avenue New Southgate, North London. He and Lilian seem to have made the move north in the late 1880s, as the births of children Ethel 1885 and Archibald 1888 were both registered at Hackney, London and Stanley's in 1901 in Islington Ethel in 1912 married Maurice C Wheeler and had a daughter Gladys in1913 in Amersham district Archibald, an insurance clerk, married Gwladys Vaughan in 1917, during the first world war. In 1943 the second world war claimed the life of their only child, Derek Vaughan Joyes, a 21 year old RAF pilot. Stanley married Ethel Dorothea Cannaway in 1933 in Edmonton district. They had a son whose birth was registered in Barnet Hertsfordshire. He married and has descendants. Stanley's death was registered in Barnet in 1987, fourteen years later than that of his wife Ethel Dorothea. Frederick Richard b Midhurst 1857 had trained as a telephonist in Midhurst; but later joined the Army. He died in 1888 in Nasaribad Rajupatana, India, where he had been an acting bombadier of R-Battery 4 Brigade Royal Artillery. The cause of his death is not yet known, but at the time the duties of British military stationed there were essentially ceremonial, rather than combative. Henry Charles b 1859 Midhurst, did not survive childhood. His death was recorded in 1864 Caroline Elizabeth b 1861,did not marry, but had a daughter Edith in1878, who seems to have been brought up by the family. She died in Battersea district in 1939. Albert b 1864 married at age 51, in 1915 to 30 year old Mabel Gordon Stevens from the Banbury/Oxford area. As far as is known they did not have any children. He died in 1950 at Midhurst. His widow lived on for a further 20 years. Annie b 1867 had a daughter Ena in 1910, who was brought up by a caring foster mother. In later life Ena married and had descendants. Annie's death was registered in Lewisham, Kent in 1920. George b 1869 is not known to have married. It is thought that at some stage he moved away from Midhurst to live near London as his death was registered at Lewisham, Kent in 1946. Percy b 1872, married Annie Mabel Bennett from Oxfordshire,in January 1897. Their daughter Gladys was born later that year. At age 69 Percy died in 1941 at Royal West Sussex Hospital Chichester. Until then he had been living with his wife at 3 Carron Lane Midhurst. Annie Mabel's death was registered at Lewisham in 1947. Gladys married Leonard Neville in 1926 in Lewisham. Walter b 1876 is thought to have married 22 year old Amy Sibley in the St Albans area, London in 1908. They did not have had a family. Walter died there at age 64 in 1940 and Amy at 85, in 1963.

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