Private Richard McWilliams
The only reference to this man's service in the North Irish Horse is in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's Roll of Honour, which listed him with the rank of 'Trooper', from Creeveland, belonging to the Ballybay Second Congregation, Ballybay Presbytery, County Monaghan. Two of his brothers, Samuel and Thomas, are also listed on the Roll (see below).
Richard McWilliams was born on 20 December 1897 at Rostrevor, Kilkeel, County Down, the twelfth of thirteen children of butler (later land steward) William McWilliams and his wife Elizabeth (née Lavery). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Creeve, Ballybay, with his parents and five of his nine surviving siblings.
Nothing further has been discovered about McWilliams' military service. Given his age he may not have enlisted until the last years of the war, in which case he probably served at the North Irish Horse reserve depot at Antrim until discharged at some point in 1919.
On 9 August 1922, when he married Jenny Harbison in the Rockcorry Church of Ireland Church in County Monaghan, he recorded his occupation as 'ex-soldier'. After her death in 1930, on 9 July 1938 he married Nellie Bugler in Belfast.
By 1962 he was living at 46 Strandburn Drive, Belfast. He died in the Belfast Hospital on 28 May that year and was buried in the Roselawn Cemetery.
Two of McWilliams' brothers also served in the war, both in the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. Both were wounded on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916. Samuel (No.16147) later transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps (No136753). Thomas (No.16124) returned to duty with the Fusiliers and was captured at Erches on 27 March 1918 during the German Kaiserschlacht Offensive.
Samuel and Thomas McWilliams
Images sourced from Ancestry.com Public Member Trees – contributor Peter Magill.
This page last updated 9 June 2025.