McQuiston, William Dalzell (William)
Rifleman
No. 18168, ‘B’ Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action in France on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 27)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B)
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for
Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt McQueston, in others McQuestin, in others McQuistin, in others McQuisten and in others McQuinston.
William Dalzell McQuiston was born on 23 October 1888 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards and he was a son of John and Sarah McQuiston (nee Crothers, sometimes Cruthers, sometimes Carothers) who were married on 13 February 1879 in Fourth Newtownards Presbyterian Church. John McQuiston, a widower and a grocer from Newtownards was a son of Robert McQuiston, a labourer. Sarah Carothers was a daughter of Andrew Carothers, a farmer.
The McQuiston family lived in Wallace’s Street No. 2, Newtownards.
John McQuiston was a grocer and cotton weaver and he and Sarah had five children:
Robert John (born 25 January 1880 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Sarah (born 18 September 1881 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Andrew (born 4 February 1884 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Edward Stevenson (born 23 February 1886 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
William Dalzell (born 23 October 1888 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
John McQuiston Senior died on 19 January 1911 (aged 77).
William Dalzell McQuiston worked as a house painter before the Great War and he and Eleanor (Ellen) Dempster were married on 11 May 1912 in First Donaghadee Presbyterian Church. Ellen Dempster, a factory worker from Movilla, was a daughter of David Dempster, a weaver (deceased).
They had two children:
Elizabeth (born 17 March 1913 in Upper Movilla Street, Newtownards)
Letitia Boyce (born 6 January 1915 in Upper Movilla Street, Newtownards)
Both children were baptised in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards.
William McQuiston was a member of the Newtownards contingent of the Ulster Volunteer Force and he was a member of Newtownards Loyal Orange Lodge (LOL) No. 1054.
William McQuiston enlisted in Newtownards and he served with the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 108th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Rifleman William McQuiston (No. 18168) was posted as missing in action after the first day of the Battle of the Somme and in June 1917 it was officially confirmed that he must be presumed to have been killed in action on 1 July 1916. His wife Eleanor and their two daughters (aged 3 and 1) were living at 76 Upper Movilla Street, Newtownards and Eleanor placed a For King and Country notice in the 23 June edition of the Newtownards Chronicle. It contained the verse:
The news was sad, the blow was hard,
God’s will, it shall be done;
With a manly heart he did his part
And a crown of victory won.
Rifleman William McQuiston (No. 18168) was 27 when he died, and he has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France; on Newtownards and District War Memorial and in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919 for Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards.