Hi Jules
I think that that was Fairlane and me but it was Daniel's father, William, who was married to an Ann and then a Ruth. (1827 and 1840)
Back to William Thomas - I've been looking at various bits and I think that the William Roberts that you've identified in Heaton Norris in 1901 seems to fit most closely to his occupation, etc. Here he's aged 23 (so born 1877-8 ish) RG13/3288/137/39.
How old was Alice when he married her?
gnu