Surname:	Macpherson
Forename(s):	William Thomas Butler
Rank:	Private
Service number:	1467 or 2556
Regiment:	4th Cameron Highlanders ‘C’ Coy
Date of death:	7 June 1915 Aged 28
Place of death:	Chocques
Buried Commemorated	Chocques Military Cemetery IV.D.14 Kingussie War Memorial

Background

William was born on 7 July 1886 at Gellion’s Hotel, Church Street,  Inverness, son of John (Hotel Keeper) and Jessie Macpherson (m.s. Miles).

His parents had married in Little Dunkeld in 1872 prior to them spending time in India where William’s older brother John was born. William married Mary Grant at Inverness on 28 December 1907 when their residence was given as Struan House, Kingussie.

William had five older brothers and one older and one younger sister. John’s oldest brother was born in India. According to the Aberdeen Weekly Journal of Wednesday 25 April 1900 announcing William’s father’s death it stated that William’s father had spent 14 years in India where he had a business manufacturing ice before becoming the landlord at the Gellion, Inverness where he remained for 20 years.

William and his wife Mary had a son William born on 27 March 1909 at Mill Road, Kingussie. William’s occupation is given as a painter. The 1911 Census shows them living in a House (Wooden) in Ardbroilach Road, Kingussie possibly beside “Hawthorne Cottage”.

War Record

On 19 February 1915 William travelled to France where he died of wounds on 7 June 1915. (This conflicts with the newspaper article below). He is buried at Choques Military Cemetery north west of Bethune, France.

(Glasgow Herald 15th June 1915)
“Intimation has been received in Kingussie of the death under distressing circumstances in France of another member of the Badenoch Company of the 4th Camerons (Territorials). Private William MacPherson had been bathing where the Battalion was billeted. After getting out of the water he was seized with heart failure, to which he succumbed. He was a painter to trade, and before joining the Camerons resided with his wife and family in Kingussie. He belonged to Inverness.”

Following his death his wife went into war service and worked at the cordite factory at Gretna. He is also remembered on the Ring of Rememberance, Notre Dame-de-Lorette and on the family gravestone at Chapel Yard Cemetery, Inverness.