William McKay Cormack (1881 - abt. 1944)

Born 22 Apr 1881 in Wick, Caithness, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Isabella (Lauder) Cormack — married 10 Mar 1911 in Edinburgh, Scotland

Descendants

Died about 12 Nov 1944 at about age 63 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carla Sheedy [send private message]

Biography

William was born on April 22, 1881 to Edward McKay Cormack and Helen Smith in Wick, Caithness, Scotland.^[1]

William married Isabella Lauder on March 10, 1911 in Edinburgh, Scotland. ^[2]

William Cormack migrated from Scotland to Canada.

William and Isabella (Bella) immigrated on the ship named Megantic from Scotland when they were both 30-years-old, and landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, their destination was Toronto. The Canada Passenger Lists document is stamped with April 3, 1911, and they rode in third-class. William's occupation in Scotland was a Porter, with his planned occupation in Toronto as a General Labourer. Their religion is Protestant.^[3]

William was a member of the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), Machine Gun Corps and appears on the British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index MGC/101B48, page 4091, Victory Medal. Regimental numbers: 18815, 70983. On his Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force Attestation paper he indicates he was a member for 12-years. ^[4]

34-year-old William also served in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force, enlisting on April 19, 1915, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing at 5'10", with fair hair and complexion, he had blue eyes and two identifying marks of tattoo's on his upper right and left forearms. Regimental number: 404576. ^[5] The 35th Battalion embarked from Montreal on 16 October 1915 aboard METAGAMA and disembarked in England on October 25, 1915. William was drafted into the 58th Batallion, 3rd Division and sent to the front in France on April 9, 1916.^[6] He was wounded by a gunshot wound to his head (referred to as sear right side of head on medical exam) on August 8, 1818. On a War Service Gratuity document, William is listed as being with the 58th Battalion from April 8, 1916, to August 8, 1918. William returned to England from France on August 11, 1918, embarked for Canada from Liverpool, United Kingdom on January 21, 1919, and was discharged from the C.E.F in Toronto on February 20, 1919, after serving in England and France. ^[7]

William and Isabella had four children:

• Edward - b. 15 Oct 1913 (Toronto)
• Helen (Ella) - b. 10 Sep 1915 (Edinburgh)
• John (Jackie) - b. 12 Feb 1920 (Toronto)
• William (Bill) - b. 18 Jan 1922 (Toronto)

In February 1919, William and Isabella lived at 150 Rose Park Drive in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ^[8]

Sadly, baby Jackie passed away on October 14, 1920, at 8-months old. ^[9]

In 1921 William, Isabella, Edward and Helen lived at 16 Portland Street in Toronto. ^[10]

William died on November 12, 1944, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ^[11]

Research Notes

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT6T-K5F : 12 February 2020), William Cormack, 1881.
2. ↑ Official marriage certificate copy belonging to Carla
3. ↑ "Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HLM-QPB : 7 December 2020), William Cormack, Mar 1911; citing Immigration, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, T-4739, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
4. ↑ Source Information: Ancestry.com. UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914- 1920 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Army Medal Office. WWI Medal Index Cards. In the care of The Western Front Association website. Record URL: https://www.ancestry.ca/imageviewer/collections/1262/images/30850_A000370-02424?pId=4103363
5. ↑ Source Information: Personnel Records of the First World War, Library and Archives Canada. Record URL: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=117401
6. ↑ Source Information: Guide to Sources Relating to Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada. Record URL: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/005/f2/005-1142.29.022-e.pdf
7. ↑ Source Information: Personnel Records of the First World War, Library and Archives Canada. Record URL: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=117401
8. ↑ Source Information: Personnel Records of the First World War, Library and Archives Canada. Record URL: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=117401
9. ↑ "Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDTM-48P : 26 March 2020), John Cormack, 14 Oct 1920; citing Toronto, York, Ontario, yr 1920 cn 7359, Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,863,282.
10. ↑ Source Information: Census of Canada, 1921. Record URL: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1921/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=3483872
11. ↑ Source required.