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William John McClure

2x Great-grandfather of Colin Manson (ahnentafel #24, MFFF)

โœ“ Sourced record
โ„น Death foundHis death entry (Townhead, Glasgow, 1937, entry 1476) gives 22 November 1937 at the Royal Infirmary, aged 66, tubeworker, married to 1st Christina Speirs and 2nd Mary Ann Pollock or Hendry. It names his father as William John McClure, but his 1917 marriage entry and the tree have Joseph McClure, so that is probably a slip by the informant.
Born

June 1871, Glengarnock, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire

Died

22 November 1937, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow

Life details

From a second, independently-built 2011 family tree archive โ€” not the primary source this site is built from, and not independently verified against a certificate or register.

Occupation
Tube Worker
Born
106 Glengarnock Rd, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire
Census trail
1881 Old Monkland, Lanarkshire1891 Old Monkland, Lanarkshire1901 Old Monkland, Lanarkshire
โš  Worth double-checkingA second, undated "William McClure โ€” Furnace Filler" record in the source could belong to him or to his great-grandson of the same name; left unattached rather than guessed.

Documents

7 records from the research archive. Click an image to view it full size.

Birth, 1871 โ€” William John McClure 1871 Birth.pdf
Birth, 1871
Source: McClure Gavigan โ€” William John McClure 1871 Birth.pdf
Marriage, 1898 โ€” William John McClure & Christnia Spiers Wedding cert.pdf
Marriage, 1898
Source: McClure Gavigan โ€” William John McClure & Christnia Spiers Wedding cert.pdf
Birth, 1901 โ€” Joseph McClure 1901 Births.pdf
Birth, 1901
Source: ScotlandsPeople โ€” Joseph McClure 1901 Births.pdf
Death, 1915 โ€” Christina McClure 1915 Death.pdf
Death, 1915
Source: ScotlandsPeople โ€” Christina McClure 1915 Death.pdf
Marriage of William McClure and Mary Ann Pollock, 1917 โ€” willaim Mcclure marriage mary ann pollock nee hendry 1917.jpg
Marriage of William McClure and Mary Ann Pollock, 1917
Source: Colin uploads, 30 October 2026 โ€” willaim Mcclure marriage mary ann pollock nee hendry 1917.jpg
Entry 160. Entry 159 (Gilbert McBrindle and Jeanie Newlands) is unrelated.
Census, 1921 โ€” william mcClure and family cencus 1921.jpg
Census, 1921
Source: Colin uploads, 30 October 2026 โ€” william mcClure and family cencus 1921.jpg
The household is schedule 145 on the page. The census is indexed under the grandson, Robert Chambers.
Death of William McClure, 1937 โ€” william McClure death cert 1937.jpg
Death of William McClure, 1937
Source: Colin uploads, 30 October 2026 โ€” william McClure death cert 1937.jpg
Entry 1476. Entries 1474 and 1475 are unrelated.

What the records say

Details read from the certificate images above. Handwriting is transcribed as read, with doubts noted.

Death of Christina McClure, 1915

Statutory Deaths 644/01 0192 · Bridgeton district, Burgh of Glasgow, page 64, entry 192

Name
Christina McClure
Died
20 February 1915, about 2:00 pm
Place of death
42 Graham Street, Glasgow
Sex and age
Female, 39 years
Marital status
Married to William John McClure, Tileworks Labourer
Father
Robert Spiers, Quarry Labourer (deceased)
Mother
Maggie Spiers, now McCormick, maiden surname Hendry
Cause of death
Pulmonary phthisis (tuberculosis)
Informant
William J. McClure, widower, present
Registered
22 February 1915, Glasgow
โš  Death date: the GEDCOM has the registration dateThe GEDCOM gives her death as 22 February 1915, but that is the day the death was registered. The certificate shows she died on 20 February 1915.
โš  Age does not fit her birth yearThe certificate gives her age as 39, which points to a birth around 1875 or 1876. Her birth entry (8 October 1873) would make her 41. The age on a death certificate was given by the informant, so the birth entry is the better guide.
โ„น Her mother remarriedHer mother is recorded as Maggie Spiers, now McCormick, maiden surname Hendry, so she had remarried after Robert Spiers died in 1892.

Birth of Joseph McClure, 1901

Statutory Births 651/00 0295 · New Monkland parish, County of Lanark, page 99, entry 295

Name
Joseph McClure
Born
27 February 1901, 9:00 am
Place of birth
23 Bell Street, Airdrie
Sex
Male
Father
William John McClure, Tube Worker
Mother
Christina McClure, maiden surname Spiers
Parents' marriage
30 December 1898, Airdrie
Informant
W. J. McClure, father
Registered
20 March 1901, Airdrie
โ„น Matches the GEDCOMThe date, place and parents all agree, and the parents' marriage on 30 December 1898 matches the family record. The birth was registered three weeks after the event.

Marriage of William John McClure and Christina Spiers, 1898

Statutory Marriages 651/00 0008 · New Monkland parish, County of Lanark, page 4, entry 8

Married
30 December 1898, New Monkland Manse, by Airdrie, after publication according to the forms of the Church of Scotland (registered 2 January 1899)
Groom
William John McClure, 26, Tube Worker, bachelor, 193 Gartsherrie, Coatbridge
Groom's parents
Joseph McClure, Furnace Filler (deceased), and Margaret McClure, "formerly Bell" (as read), maiden surname Cairns
Bride
Christina Spiers, 23, Brickfield Worker, spinster, Glenmavis, by Airdrie
Bride's parents
Robert Spiers, Labourer (deceased), and Maggie Spiers, maiden surname Hendry
Witnesses
Joseph McClure and Hannah Spiers
Registered
2 January 1899, Airdrie
โ„น Matches the GEDCOMThe date and place agree, and so do all four parents. It is indexed under 1899 because it was registered then.
โš  Ages and a possible earlier marriageThe record gives the bride as 23 and the groom as 26, a little under what their birth dates give (about 25 and 27). The words "formerly Bell" beside his mother's name may mean she had been married before; the handwriting is hard to read.

Marriage of William McClure and Mary Ann Pollock, 1917

Statutory Marriages 644/1 160 · Bridgeton district, Burgh of Glasgow, page 80, entry 160

Married
26 October 1917 at 180 Bernard Street, Glasgow, after publication, Established Church of Scotland (George Allan, minister of Newlands)
Groom
William McClure, tubeworker, widower, 45, 23 Hozier Street, Glasgow
Groom's parents
Joseph McClure, furnaceman (deceased), and Margaret McClure, maiden surname Cairns (deceased)
Bride
Mary Ann Pollock or Hendry, widow, 36, 30 Franklin Street, Glasgow
Bride's parents
Thomas Pollock, machine fitter, and Margaret Pollock, maiden surname Lindop (deceased)
Witnesses
Thomas Oakes and Mary Cryans
Registered
1 November 1917, Glasgow
โ„น Second marriageHis first wife was Christina Speirs, who died on 22 February 1915.
โ„น A widow called Hendry"Pollock or Hendry" means she was born a Pollock and was the widow of a Hendry. Four Hendry girls in the 1921 household are probably her daughters by that marriage.
โ„น Parents matchHis parents agree with the tree (Joseph McClure and Margaret Cairns).

Death of William McClure, 1937

Statutory Deaths 644/6 1476 · Townhead district, Burgh of Glasgow, page 492, entry 1476

Name
William McClure, tubeworker, married to 1st Christina Speirs and 2nd Mary Ann Pollock or Hendry
Died
22 November 1937, 1:00 pm (the time is hard to read), Royal Infirmary, Glasgow (usual residence 5 Troon Street)
Age
66
Father
William John McClure, tubeworker (deceased)
Mother
Margaret McClure, maiden surname Cairns (deceased)
Cause of death
Stricture of the urethra, cystitis, pyelonephritis, uraemia. Certified by A R Hunter MB ChB.
Informant
Mary McClure, widow
Registered
23 November 1937, Glasgow
โ„น His death is newThe tree had no death for William John McClure. An age of 66 gives a birth about 1871, as the tree has.
โš  His father's nameThis gives his father as "William John McClure". His 1917 marriage entry, the 1881 death of Joseph McClure and the tree all have his father as Joseph McClure, furnaceman. The widow, Mary Ann, gave the information and probably gave the son's own name by mistake.

1921 Census: household transcription

Details read from the census schedule image above. Reference 644/1 19/19, census night 19 June 1921.

Address
30 Franklin Street, Glasgow
Area
Civil parish of Glasgow, Dalmarnock ward, Bridgeton constituency
Dwelling
2 rooms, 14 people in the house
Schedule no.
145
NameRelationAgeOccupationBirthplace
William McClureMarriedHead50 (M)Tube work labourerStewart and LloydsAyr, Glengarnock
Mary Ann McClureMarriedWife39 years 1 month (F)Home dutiesLanark, Glasgow
Joseph McClureSingleSon20 years 4 months (M)Tube work labourerStewart and LloydsLanark, Airdrie
Margaret McClureDaughter22 (F)none statedLanark, Airdrie
Catherine McClureSingleDaughter15 years 9 months (F)Cotton mill workerClyde Spinning CoLanark, Glasgow
Ellen McClureDaughter13 years 3 months (F)ScholarLanark, Glasgow
William McClureSon2 years 1 month (M)none statedLanark, Glasgow
Elizabeth McClureDaughter1 (F)none statedLanark, Glasgow
Jeanie HendrySingleStep-daughter16 years 8 months (F)Cotton mill workerClyde Spinning CoLanark, Glasgow
Catherine HendryStep-daughter13 years 2 months (F)ScholarLanark, Glasgow
Sarah HendryStep-daughter9 years 4 months (F)ScholarLanark, Glasgow
Robert ChambersGrandson1 (M)none statedLanark, Glasgow
Elizabeth McLeanSingleBoarder19 years 1 month (F)none statedLanark, Baillieston
Mary HendryStep-daughter6 (F)none statedLanark, Glasgow
โ„น A blended householdWilliam McClure and Mary Ann Pollock married in October 1917. William and Elizabeth were born after the marriage. The four Hendry girls are her children by a Hendry, her first husband. Catherine and Ellen McClure are his children by his first wife, Christina Speirs, who died in 1915. Margaret and Joseph are also from that marriage.
โš  Margaret and her sonMargaret is 22 and the grandson is Robert Chambers, aged 1. Margaret is probably his mother and married to a Chambers, but the census does not say so. The marriage column for Margaret is hard to read.
โ„น Later recordsJoseph (born 1901) married Mary Ann Ward in 1924 and is Colin's great-grandfather on the McClure side.
โš  Hard to readThe ages and the birthplace codes were read from a faint image. The row for Sarah has ditto marks for the surname, so Hendry is assumed.

Spouses & children

Spouse โ€” married 26 October 1917, 180 Bernard Street, Glasgow (Bridgeton district)
Mary Ann Pollock1881โ€“โœ“ Sourced
Children