Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Alfred Cheney, a shoe trade edge finisher, born 1870 in Bethnal Green, Middlesex, and his wife Ann Cheney, born 1868 in Leicester. William was born on the 2nd September 1891 in Leicester, his siblings were, Bertie, born 1898, Horace, born 1900 and Walter, born 1901, all his siblings were born in Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at 5, London Street, Leicester. In the 4th quarter of 1904, in the Leicester district, William’s mother died aged 36. In April 1911 William was absent from the family home at Bakehouse Lane, Leicester, residing there was his father, a shoe trade finisher, his stepmother, Eliza Cheney (married in the 4th quarter of 1905 in the Leicester district), born 1862 in Woolwich, Middlesex and siblings, Bertie, a schoolboy, Horace, a schoolboy and Herbert, a schoolboy, born 1903 in Leicester, William was serving in the Royal Navy as an Able Bodies Seaman aboard HMS Agamennon. William enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 12 year engagement on the 31st March 1909, his reckonable service to commence on the 2nd September 1909, and was allocated the service number J/4265 in Chatham, Kent. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 6 inches in height, had a chest measurement of 38½ inches, his hair colour was light brown and his eyes were brown, his complexion was described as fresh, it was noted that he had a large scar on the base of his left thumb., he gave his trade or calling as shoe finisher. On re-examination on the 29th September 1909 he was recorded as being 5 foot 8½ inches in height. His service record began when he joined HMS Ganges as a Boy 2nd Class on the 31/3/09 – 13/4/09. HMS Ganges, 14/4/09 – 29/6/09, when he was promoted to Boy 1st Class. HMS Ganges, 30/6/09 – 23/7/09. HMS Cressy, 24/7/09 – 28/9/09, when he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman. HMS Cressy, 29/9/09 – 4/10/09. HMS Victorious, 5/10/09 – 29/11/09. HMS Pembroke I, 30/11/09 – 3/12/09. HMS Agamennon, 4/12/09 – 28/11/09, when he was promoted to Able Bodied Seaman. HMS Agamennon, 29/11/09 – 17/1/13. HMS Pembroke I, 18/1/13 – 11/2/13. HMS Blenheim, 12/2/13 – 30/9/13. HMS Egmont, 1/10/13 – 4/5/14. HMS Blenheim, 5/5/14 – 21/6/14. HMS Sutley, 22/6/14 – 12/7/17. HMS Pembroke I, 13/7/14 – 29/7/14. HMS Formidable, 30/7/14 – 1/1/15, when was killed in an action with a submarine in the English Channel.
On Saturday January 9th 1915 The Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTER SURVIVOR OF THE FORMIDABLE.” – ONE LOCAL MAN LOST. Amongst the names of the survivors of the Formidable, which went down in the channel on New Year’s Day, we are glad to notice that Stoker J. Farrar, who was one of the Leicester men to whom a Christmas present was recently sent from the “Daily Post” and “Daily Mercury” Fund. It is feared that Able Seaman Cheney, the other Leicester man on board the Formidable, is among the lost. His parents live at 31, Farnham Street. Cheney, in a letter to a friend written on the note paper he received as part of his Christmas present from our fund, expressed his appreciation of the kindness of the Leicestershire people in remembering the local men in the fleet. He was only 23 years of age, and was engaged to be married to a young lady who had volunteered as a nurse.