Montgomery, William
Private
No. 21917, Scottish Rifles transferred to
No. 40674, 6th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Died of wounds on Tuesday 10 April 1917 (aged 24)
Buried:
Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France (Grave I. L. 2)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Second Newtownards Presbyterian Church
BIOGRAPHY
William Montgomery was born on 12 November 1893 in Mark Street, Newtownards and in his civil birth registration record his surname was registered as Alexander. On the record his mother’s name was registered as Jane Alexander.
Jane Alexander and Samuel Montgomery were married on 7 November 1876 in Ballygrainey Presbyterian Church. Jane Alexander, a spinster from Cottown, was a daughter of Andrew Alexander, a farmer. Samuel Montgomery, a soldier from Cottown, was a son of Samuel Montgomery, a shoemaker.
Samuel and Jane Montgomery (nee Alexander) had at least two children:
Mary (born 23 July 1886 in Mark Street, Newtownards)
Andrew Alexander (born 15 July 1889 in Cottown)
Their father, Samuel Montgomery, died of cerebral disease on 1 August 1889 in Down Asylum – two weeks after Andrew was born.
Their widowed mother, Jane Montgomery (nee Alexander), lived in Mark Street, Newtownards and she worked as a washerwoman. Her son, William Alexander, later known as William Montgomery, was born on 12 November 1893 in Mark Street, Newtownards.
Jane Montgomery (nee Alexander) and John McCready (sometimes McCreedy) were married on 30 September 1896 in Newtownards Roman Catholic Church. John McCready from Mark Street, Newtownards was a son of John McCready, a labourer. Jane Montgomery was a mill worker.
John McCready worked as a general labourer and in 1901 he and Jane were living in Mark Street, Newtownards with Jane’s sons, Andrew and William Montgomery.
In 1911 William Montgomery, his half-brother Andrew and his half-sister Mary were boarding with John and Jane Cargo and their three children in Little Francis Street, Newtownards. Also living there was Jane Montgomery who was born on 26 June 1909. Jane was a daughter of Mary Montgomery.
John Cargo worked as a blacksmith and William Montgomery worked in a print works before he moved to Scotland. He lived in Rutherglen, Lanark and enlisted there. He served initially with the Scottish Rifles (No. 21917) before being transferred to the 6th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers (No. 40674).
Private William Montgomery was 24 when he died of wounds at the 42nd Casualty Clearing Station in France on 10 April 1917 and his half-brother and half-sister placed a For King and Country notice in the 28 April 1917 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle. It contained the text:
For ever with the Lord
At the time of William’s death his half-brother, Driver Andrew Montgomery, was on active service with the Royal Engineers and his half-sister Mary was living at 6 Greenwell Street Newtownards. In the Army Record of Soldiers’ Effects it is noted that his legatee was his half-sister Mary.
Private William Montgomery was buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France and there is an inscription on his CWGC headstone:
ASLEEP IN JESUS
Private William Montgomery is commemorated on Newtownards and District War Memorial and in Second Newtownards Presbyterian Church.