Mr William Henry Gillespie

Who was William Henry Gillespie?

William Henry Gillespie was a 31 (thirty-one) year-old Irish clerk who tragically lost his life in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. Born on October 7, 1880, in Carlow, Ireland, Gillespie was a second-class passenger aboard the ill-fated ship, traveling on business to Vancouver when disaster struck.

Early Life and Family Background

A Large Irish Family

William Henry Gillespie came from a large Church of Ireland family. His parents were:

Father: Richard Gillespie (born 1838), a staff sergeant in the British Army and later a clerk
Mother: Eliza Houlihan (born 1860)

William was one of many siblings, including:

Eliza Annie and Caroline Bridget (twins, born November 6, 1874)
Catherine Jane (born December 10, 1876)
Richard George (born October 3, 1878)
Daniel James (born June 19, 1882)
Emmanuel (born December 25, 1883)
Ester Deborah (born June 7, 1886)
Ada Ruth (born May 26, 1888)
Uriah Adam (born January 21, 1890)
Matthew Humphrey (born October 23, 1893)

Where did the Gillespie family live?

The Gillespie family moved several times during William’s childhood:

Burrin Street, Carlow
Military Barracks, Carlow
Abbeyleix Demesne, Queen’s County (now Co Laois)

By 1901, the family was residing at house 9 in Abbeyleix Demesne, where William worked as a grocer’s clerk.

Career and Life Before the Titanic

What was William’s occupation?

William Gillespie worked as a clerk in a prestigious carpet factory in Abbeyleix. His career progression can be traced through census records:

Year	Occupation	Residence
1901	Grocer’s Clerk	House 9, Abbeyleix Demesne
1911	Law Clerk	20 Market Square, Abbeyleix

Interestingly, his mother ran a coffee house named Coffee Palace in Abbeyleix.

The Titanic Journey

Why was William Gillespie on the Titanic?

William was traveling to Vancouver on business for the carpet factory where he worked. He boarded the Titanic at Queenstown (now Cobh) on April 11, 1912, as a second-class passenger.

Ticket Details:
Number: 12233
Cost: £13

It’s worth noting that William was one of only a handful of Irish passengers not traveling in third class.

Family Connections to America

William’s journey was not the first transatlantic voyage for the Gillespie family:

Brothers Emmanuel and Uriah had previously crossed the Atlantic
Emmanuel had returned to Ireland by 1910
Another brother, Daniel, lived in Manhattan, though the family had lost contact with him around 1906

Fate During the Disaster

Tragically, William Gillespie did not survive the sinking of the Titanic. His body, if recovered, was never identified. He is remembered on the family headstone in St. Michael and All Angels churchyard, Tullyrae, Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Ireland.

Legacy and Family Aftermath

How did the Titanic disaster affect the Gillespie family?

William’s mother received compensation from the Titanic Relief Fund.
She passed away on January 10, 1914, less than two years after losing her son.
William’s brother Emmanuel joined the Royal Army Medical Corps at the outbreak of World War I.

A Strange Twist of Fate

In a poignant turn of events, William’s brother Daniel, living in New York, attempted to reconnect with him in 1926:

Daniel sent letters via the Irish Department of External Affairs, searching for William.
He believed William was working as a grocer in Dublin.
The search involved the local Gardai (Irish police force).
Daniel eventually learned of his brother’s fate on the Titanic, 14 years after the disaster.

Daniel, who worked as a painter in Brooklyn, never married and died on August 15, 1929, at the age of 47 (forty-seven).

This bittersweet story of the Gillespie family highlights the far-reaching and long-lasting impact of the Titanic tragedy on families across the world.