William Union

William Union was born in early 1880 in Greenock, the first son of John and Maggie Union. In 1881 they lived at 13 Crescent Street in the east end of the town[1]]. By 1891, the family had moved to 3 Belville Street[2]. In 1901, William was still living with his parents, now at 65 Belville Street, and he was an apprentice brass-finisher[3].

William left Glasgow on the SS Laurentian on 28th June 1902, arriving at New York on the 9th July. He stayed initially with his uncle Wilford Howard in Pawtucket, RI..[5]

In October 1902 he was joined by his father John at 19 Lawn Avenue, Pawtucket. In January 1903 when his mother Maggie and his brothers and sisters arrived, they were living in Weedon St, Pawtucket.[5]

By August 1905 they had moved to Newport News, Va.. In 1908, Ellen Union and her sister Margaret Mackenzie arrived from Greenock, returning to Ellen's husband William at 3.38 38th St, Newport News.[5]

In 1910, William lived at 334 43rd Street, Newport News and he was a machinist in the shipyard [8]. By 1930, he had remarried to Geannie, had a daughter Gean (aged 14), and his mother Maggie (aged 80) was living with them at 48 Sycamore Avenue, Newport News [9].

William's cousin's son Nicol McKechnie sent a card to a W.Union when his ship called at Norfolk, Va, across the bay from Newport News, on 6th March 1939 [7]. It may have been this William, or it may have been this William's second cousin William Union who was a docker in Greenock in 1939 and who would have known he had relatives in Newport News.

Sources: Census [1]1881, [2]1891, [3]1901; [4]IGI; [5]Ellis Island; [6]family records (J Walker); [7]family records (N McKechnie); US Census [8]1910; [9]1930

Page last updated 10 February 2004