Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

The son of sailor Charles Griffin and his Shields born wife Harriet Buckham who had married in 1856, William was born on 10th May 1875 after Harriet, Isabella, Charles and Thomas, and before Margaret and Maria. By 1891 the family were living in Bowman Street, Westoe and William was working at a local shipyard. Two years later he married Elizabeth Griffin on 31st October in St. Jude’s Church and by 1901 they were running a public house, possibly The Beehive, in Wellington Street, South Shields, where they lived with their young family Harriet 8, and Jane 6. William’s father died in 1904 leaving his wife the princely sum of £10, and she died in 1913.

By 1911 William had become a coal hewer, working for the Harton Coal Company, and the growing family, now including Wilhelmina, Robert, Sarah and Catherine, lived in Eldon Street.

William Stevenson Buckham Griffin arrived in Canada between 1911 and 12th November 1914 when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Toronto. Becoming Private 57189, initially in the 12th Regiment York Rangers, and then the 20th Battalion he arrived back in England on 15th May 1915 and based at West Sandling went AWOL for a week two months later, forfeiting pay and receiving ten days punishment. This didn’t deter William as the same thing happened the following month.

January 1916 saw the 20th Battalion proceed to France, sailing from Folkestone, and then to billets at La Clytte. In December William received a wound to his scalp in a bombing accident at the camp at Calonne and was treated in #5 Canadian Field Ambulance and was off duty for two weeks. Taking his annual leave and returning home to South Shields, whilst there in January 1918 he was admitted to St.John’s Hospital in South Shields and then transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Bearwood, suffering from gastritis brought about by shell gas. Discharged from medical care in February Private Griffin never returned to France, but was transferred to 1st Central Ontario Regimental Depot at West Sandling and served his time there.

William Griffin took his discharge from the CEF in England on 12th April 1919 and returned to his family then living in Soulsby Street, South Shields, where he died on 30th March 1948, eighteen years after his wife.

William Griffin is remembered in South Shields on S86.127