Hickey family move to Twickenham

The Hickey family moved from Ireland to a new house in Cross Deep Twickenham. William was the seventh child in the family and loved to play pranks on his near neigbours.

Pranks and tricks

On one occasion William kicked the walking stick away from under Thomas Hudson, the elderly portrait painter. Down fell poor Mr Hudson upon his prodigious belly. William took to his heels. He escaped severe punishment from his father because Hudson in a fury flung a heavy stick at William’s head, missing it narrowly. William then apologised. He claimed that he was readily and kindly forgiven. William noted that Hudson was …one of my first-rate favourites…he often told me I should certainly be hanged.

Other near neighbours suffered from young William’s pranks.