Person:William Spalding (8)

After his mother's death William and his sister Helen lived with their grandparents in London Street, Larkhall. According to the 1851 Dalserf census William and Helen were twins.

   In the 1861 census William, aged 15, was living with his grandparents at 6 London Street, Larkhall.  He was employed as a cotton weaver. His sister Helen, aged 15, was living with her father and stepmother.  

   On 29 December 1865 William, a 20 year old coal miner and bachelor married Ann McDonald, an 18 year old domestic servant and spinster. William's parents were listed as William Spalding, Bottler, and Elen Cimuns (deceased). Ann's parents were Malcolm McDonald, painter (journeyman) and Jane Millar.  The witnesses were Robert Douglas and John McLenan.  

   William was also described as a coal miner in his son Peter's birth certificate and in the 1871 census.  In 1871 William and Ann were living at Blackinell Lane, Hamilton.  In 1881 they had moved to 8 Lamb Street, Hamilton and William was a labourer.

   On 1 December 1883 William Spalding and Ann Spalding (nee McDonald) and their children set sail for Australia from Greenock (Port Glasgow) on the "Stirlingshire" arriving in Sydeny, Australia on 16 February 1884.  The "Stirlingshire was a 1261 ton ship of the port of Glasgow and on this voyage brought 418 immigrants - 239 males and 179 females. The passenger entry records give his religion as UP, Native Place or County as Lanark with no relations in the Colony.  He was listed as a labourer aged 38. The shipping list shows the three boys, William aged 17, Peter aged 15 and Thomas aged 13, listed separately from their parents and young sisters Annie and Jane, and baby John.  The boys were listed with the other single men.

   The master of the ship was Scott Alexander.  According to oral family history, the baby Alexander McDonald Spalding, who was born on board the ship, was named after the ship's master.  

   On arriving in Australia, William and Ann Spalding took a 99 year lease on a property at 28 Roseberry Street, Balmain, Sydney. They later moved to 30 Roseberry Street leaving son William and his wife, Maria, in No. 28.  They lived in No. 30 until their death when it passed to the youngest son, Andrew and his wife, Ellen.

   An 18 year old niece of Ann McDonald, Jane (Jeanie) Jack arrived in Sydney on 12 September 1885. Jeanie listed an uncle as present in the Colony.?This was most likely William Spalding, her mother's brother-in-law.

   At the time of his wife Ann's death in 1912 William was a member of the Balmain Court Foresters' Home No. 6517 A.O.F. (ref Ann's funeral notice).

   He was listed as an iron worker in his son Peter's death certificate. William's mothers name is given as Ellen Cunningham and his father William Spalding's occupation as hotel proprietor.  William was described as a labourer.  

   DEATH: NSW BDM 6133/1913  SPALDING  William  Father - William, Mother - Ellen Registered at BALMAIN SOUTH
   Witnesses on this certificate for William's burial were Peter Spalding and John McDonald. William's cause of death was fractured skull from accidental fall. He was 67 years old. (Ref: Death Certificate and Field of Mars, Presbyt. transcript 30940)

   Funeral Notice - Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 16 June 1913
   Friends of the late Mr. William Spalding are kindly invited to attend his funeral to leave his late residence 30 Roseberry Street, Rozelle, this afternoon at 2 pm for Presbyterian Field of Mars.

   Each of William's children placed their own death notices in the Sydney Morning Herald, so there were notices in the newspaper similar to the above from Mr. and Mrs. William Spalding, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Spalding, Mr. Thomas Spalding, Mr. & Mrs. S. Mitchell, Mr & Mrs. A. Nash, Mr& Mrs. John Spalding, Mr. & Mrs. William Heinrich, Mr & Mrs. M. Spalding, and Mr. Andrew Spalding.   

   There were also notices inviting friends of Mr. & Mrs. John McDonald to attend the funeral of their late dearly loved uncle, and friends of Mr. W. Hannah to attend the funeral of his late dearly loved uncle, and officers and members of the court of Court "Foresters' Home" No. 6517 AOF Balmain.

   William Hannah the son of the above Jeanie Hannah (nee Jack) worked at the Cockatoo Island shipyard, where William Spalding Jnr. also worked as a furnace man.  William Hannah formed a close attachment to the Spalding family albeit not strictly a nephew of this William Spalding.

   It is not yet clear who Mr. & Mrs. John McDonald were. They could possibly be related to William's wife Ann McDonald.