The sources for uncited facts about Will’s life are ancestry.com and the Scotland’s People site. Otherwise, source links are included within.
When William Garroch (Will) was born on November 27, 1881, in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, his father, William, was 31 and his mother, Annie McConnachie, was 31. He was born at 7:30 PM, at a miners’ row called Kiln Row, which is described as “… a range of cottages occupied by colliers situated near the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway near to which are some Lime Kilns from which they derive the name.”
Five other siblings were born before Will: Isabella, Maggie, Alexander, Agnes and John.
His brother Peter McConnachie Garroch was born on August 19, 1883, when Will was three months short of his second birthday. At this time, the family lived at High Row, Crosshouse, Kilmaurs, Ayrshire.
Sometime between Pete’s birth and the 1891 census, Will’s father either left his family or died, as Annie is listed as the Head of House: widow. There is no record of his death. Back in those days, women would sometimes claim to be widows as there was less stigma attached than being from a broken marriage. There is currently no way of knowing in which situation Annie found herself, unless his death record surfaces.
Annie lived with four of her children on McChristie’s land, and Annie’s profession is “washerwoman”. Maggie is listed as an unemployed farm servant, while John, 11, Will, 9, and Pete, 7, are still in school.
In 1893, Will’s mother remarried to a man named William Lindsay and the family moved to Southhook Rows, in Dreghorn Parish. This is where he’s listed until the 1901 census, when his address is 40 Kirkland Rows, across the road from his future wife Helen’s family. In the 1901 census, Will is listed as a boarder, and his occupation is Coal Miner – Drawer.
He married Helen Cochrane Littlejohn on February 6, 1903, when he was 21 years old and Helen was 18.
Their first daughter, Jeanie Cochrane Garroch, was born on November 7, 1903, a couple weeks before Will’s 22nd birthday. They lived at 38 Springhill Six Rows, Dreghorn, where Helen gave birth every two years or so. Most of their children did not live to see adulthood.
Their son William Garroch Jr. (Willie) was born on August 30, 1905, when Will was 23. Willie was named, in tradition with Scottish naming patterns, after Will’s father, also named William Garroch.
Will was 25 when daughter Annie was born on October 13, 1907. Annie was named after Will’s mother, Annie McConnachie. Baby Annie passed away on February 26, 1908, at almost five months old, of whooping cough.
After Annie’s death, the family moved to Coalburn, Lanarkshire, about 30 miles east of Dreghorn. In Coalburn, when Will was 27, their third daughter, Helen Littlejohn Garroch Jr. (Nellie) was born on March 13, 1909. At that time, the family lived in miners’ row housing called Nethertown Square.
Their son James was born on August 15, 1910, also in Nethertown Square. He lived four days and his cause of death was “premature birth”. James was named after Helen’s second oldest brother (her first oldest was also named William, and that name was taken).
On May 29, 1911, another son they named James was born, but he passed away the same day, again the cause of death was “premature birth”. He lived for six hours. By this time, the family had moved closer to town, to 17 Railway Terrace in Coalburn.
A little over a year later, daughter Bella was born on July 14, 1912. Bella died two days later, with the causes of death being “premature birth, marasmus”. Bella was named after Will’s eldest sister, Isabella.
Helen gave birth to another son on February 6, 1914, and they gave the name James one more try. James passed away on February 11, 1914 and his cause of death was “Premature birth, debility”.
On August 4, 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany and everyone’s lives were turned upside down. Men had to decide whether to enlist or to stay home and work in the mines. Will, aged 32, stayed in Scotland and continued work as a coal miner. His reasons for this choice are unknown, but it can be assumed that because he had a family to support and a wife who was probably weakened by so many unsuccessful pregnancies, he was needed at home.
When Helen was 30 and Will was 33, a daughter named Isabella was born on April 14, 1915, and died after one hour. Her cause of death was also premature birth.
When Will was 35, his mother Annie passed away on November 10, 1917, at the age of 67.
Finally, when Will was 39 and Helen was 36, a daughter survived. Isabella (Ella) was born on February 21, 1921, in Coalburn.
In 1921, shortly after Ella’s birth, a miners’ strike took hold in the United Kingdom. The Great War was over, and the government stopped subsidizing the coal mines. Mine owners wanted to substantially lower what the miners were being paid. After months of brutal conditions and soup kitchens, the mine owners won and wages were cut to pre-war levels.
Painted on the wooden plank are the words “Railway Terrace May 26th Soup Kitchen 1921”.
Pete Garroch is in the top row of this photo, at the far left.
Tam Trow is in the top row, far right, and Will Garroch is seated in the center of the photo, wearing a fedora.
The 1921 census was taken late that year, due to the strike, and many miners were still unemployed at that time. Will was back at work as a hewer — he loosened and dug the coal from the seam with a pick and shovel. Willie was employed as Will’s drawer — he collected the coal that Will dug out and delivered it topside.
On November 4, 1921, Will left for the United States with his son Willie, his brother Pete and his nephew Tam (Thomas Trow), en route to Castle Gate, UT on the Cameronia. They arrived in New York City on 17 Nov 1921 and Will declared that he was carrying 30 pounds in British Sterling. His physical description, as noted on the Cameronia’s Arriving Passenger List, was:
Age – 39
Height – 5’8″
Hair – Fair
Eyes – Grey
Complexion – Fair
In December 1923, Will applied for American citizenship. That same day, he tested with the Utah Fuel Company for a new position of Fire Boss. He passed that test.
In late February, Castle Gate Mine #1 was closed, due to slow business. Many married men, with families to support, were transferred to Mine #2. Will was one of those men.
After less than two years in America, Will’s wife Helen passed away from cancer on August 27, 1923, at the age of 38. Will was 41. They had been married 20 years.
On March 8, 1924, at age 42, Will was assigned to work in the Sixth Right Dip, Room 15. He died that day, alongside 171 other men, when three explosions rocked Mine #2.
Will Garroch was buried March 13, 1924, alongside his wife Helen in the Castle Gate Cemetery, on his daughter Nellie’s 15th birthday.
Castle Gate - The Book 