William Roper Maynard
(1828-1886)
22 September 1861

Volume 5, page 87, sitting number 5850.

Born in Bloomsbury in or about 1828, William Roper Maynard appears on the 1851 and 1861 censuses living at 52 Westbourne Terrace in Paddington, the home of his father Joseph Maynard, a solicitor.

In 1851, aged 23, William was an 'Articled Clerk'. Ten years later he gave 'Solicitor' as his profession. In 1881 father and son were still at the same address, now both giving 'Land and Landed Property' as their source of income.

In 1884 he was one of the victims of a gang of six pickpockets who were working the railway station at Windsor during the Ascot races. One of the men, Walter Ray, was caught and Maynard gave evidence at his trial. 'William Roper Maynard said: I reside at 52, Westbourne-terrace, London. I attended the races on Tuesday. I went to the Great Western Railway Station on my return. I saw a porter there and spoke to him. A train had just backed in. Very probably I looked at my watch, but I cannot remember having done so. There was a great crowd, and I was pushed about. I was going to the platform to enter a carriage when I was stopped by a detective, who asked me if I had lost a watch. I found my chain hanging down and my watch gone. It was a gold watch, and was worth £50. I had not noticed the prisoner on the platform. I saw [the] prisoner afterwards for the first time at the police-station. I knew that I had my watch in the omnibus coming home from the races because I looked at it. The omnibus stopped at the station. I had my watch when I got out.' Walter Ray was sentenced to six months' imprisonment (Windsor and Eton Express, 14 June 1884). 

William Roper Maynard died unmarried on 25 July 1886, aged 59. He left an estate valued at £44,085.