Family from St. Martin in the Fields London England and Germany
William's mother gave birth to his brother Thomas Asher Rake, Asher married Mary Bonham in 1860s and Mary died after Thomas was born in 1868. Asher remarried Sophia Herring when William was very young and they had 3 more daughters, Maud, Sophia, and Winifred. By the time William was 14 he was an apprentice for a grocer's apprentice .
His father Asher Rake was the son of William Rake and Fannie or Elizabeth Tucker. Mary Bonham Rake was the daugther of Thomas Watts, and Caroline Bonham Watts. All were born in England. His father and stepmother had childern Sophia M. Maud B. Louise B. and Winifred. The only boys were Thomas and William. William came to the US at about the age of 17 or 18.
He owned a general store in Evantson, and was remarried before marrying Elisabeth Haug. With Elizabeth Haug he had four daughter, Mary, Beatrice, Edith, and Ruth. This is the foundations of our Rake family which extends from Pennsylvania, to Illinois to Colorado, Arizona, California, and Canada. ***Thomas Asher Rake remained in England and married a Fannie Elisabeth Walton in 1898, and there is a census record of them in 1901 living in Hammersmith, London England. We are looking for his descendants.