William Bickford

William Bickford Jnr (19 November 1841 – 20 September 1916)

In 1871 he married Margaret Jane Ferguson. They had seven children:

• William Ferguson Bickford "Willie" (30 November 1871 – 22 June 1889) died aged 17 in riding accident
• Sidney Bickford (10 August 1874 – 10 December 1938) moved to Perth in 1895.
• Harold Bickford (16 May 1876 – 23 October 1958) Managing director A. M. Bickford & Sons Ltd 1908–1930
• Norman Forsyth Bickford (b.14 January 1877 at Waymouth St.)
• Evelyn Victoria Bickford (later Mrs Robert Ezekiel Reid of Geelong) (b.7 June 1878)
• Reginald Bickford (26 January 1880 – 20 November 1948) m. Rosa Florence Cudmore (30 September 1879 – 22 July 1954)
• Leslie Bruce Bickford (b.30 December 1885 at Alvington) m. Dorothy Murray

Their first home was "Fairfield" in Somerton, followed by "Alvington" near the Brighton Esplanade (see chapter below). Both William and Harry sent their sons to St. Peter's College, a tradition that was largely continued in following generations.

He was made Justice of the Peace in 1886 and elected president of the Justices' Association from 1903 to 1904. He was elected to Brighton council and Mayor of Brighton 1886–1887 and 1890–1891.He was president of the Adelaide Chamber of Commerce from 1894 to 1895.

He and brother Harry bought Burnside Station near Naracoorte in 1886, and though neither ever lived there, they installed a manager and visited frequently. The fine merino wool produced there always found a ready buyer. By the turn of the century they had decided to free themselves of the responsibility, so after the South Australian Government showed no interest at their price of £49,540, subdivided the 40,978 acres into 28 lots and put them up for auction on 23 October 1908.

Around 1880, with business prospering and his family expanding, William built a substantial residence "Alvington" at New Glenelg (now Somerton Park) on a property with a beach frontage of 160' and depth of 360' (49m x 110m) at the corner of The Esplanade and Madge Terrace (now Bickford Terrace). It was named after West Alvington, the home village of his grandparents, and the location to which his sister Elizabeth had "migrated". William Bickford did not live long to enjoy its grandeur, and on his death in 1918 left his widow Margaret and son Harold with a substantial overdraft. They were able to maintain a gracious lifestyle however, retaining a coachman and other servants.

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