Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

William Stewart Scott was born on 11 November 1892 at Gore, the fourteen of the fifteen children and the sixth son of James Nelson and Elizabeth Mabon (née Laurie) Scott. James and Elizabeth who were both Scottish, married in 1868 in New Zealand. James Nelson Scott died on 13 March 1894, when young William just over a year old and his younger brother, Walter Paisley Scott, was only two months old. James had been suffering for some time. William and some of the other younger children were admitted to Gore School in 1899. Elizabeth was a widow still at Gore in 1905. In 1907, she (Elizabeth Maben Scott) married Walter Wadsworth in Melbourne, Australia. By 1911 Elizabeth and Walter were in Dunedin. Elizabeth died there in 1935 and was buried with James at Gore.

When William enlisted on 20 October 1914, his address was Timaru. He had served with the Mataura Mounted Rifles until he left the district. A bushman, single and Presbyterian, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs W. Wadsworth, 76 Anderston Road, Roslyn, Dunedin. Private W. S. Scott embarked with the Auckland Infantry Battalion of the 2nd Reinforcements, departing from Wellington on 14 December 1914. In March 1916 while in Egypt he suffered appendicitis. Worse was to come, the Lyttelton Times of 23 August 1916 reporting his wounding on 14 July and, on the same page, the death from wounds on 14 July of his younger brother, Walter Paisley Scott.

“Private William Stewart Scott (wounded on July 14 in France) is the second youngest son of the late Mr J. N. Scott, of Gore, and Mrs Scott, now Mrs W. Wadsworth, of Kaikorai, Dunedin. Private Scott born at Gore twenty-four years ago, and was educated at the Gore Public School. He enlisted with the Sixth Haurakis, Auckland, Fifth Company, Second Reinforcements, and was through Gallipoli. He underwent an operation for appendicitis while in Egypt, and got better in time to meet his brother. Private Scott is a good all-round athlete.”[Lyttelton Times. 23 August 1916.]

“Private Walter Paisley Scott (died from wounds, July 14, in France) was twenty-two and was the youngest son of the late Mr J. N. Scott, Gore, and Mrs Scott, now Mrs W. Wadsworth, Kaikorai, Dunedin. He enlisted with the Otago Mounteds, Tenth Reinforcements. Before enlisting he was working for Mr M. M’Grath, blacksmith, Sutton. He was a good athlete and a boxer of some repute.” [Lyttelton Times. 23 August 1916.]

“Mrs E. W. Stowell, Pareora West, has received word that her brother, Private William S. Scott, who left with the Main Body, was wounded in the Somme Battle, and severely wounded in the battle of Messines. He is returning to New Zealand this month, inyalided. Private Scott was well known in the Pareora West district, where he worked for Mr E. W. Stowell for many years.” [Timaru Herald. 18 August 1917.] Laurie Maben Scott, William’s sister, married Ernest Walter Stowell at St Andrews near Timaru in 1904. Thereafter, they lived at Pareora and their children attended Pareora West School. Ernest’s brother David served in World War One, as did two cousins (William Henry Stowell and Frederick Charles Stowell). William Stewart Scott was one of 581 returned soldiers who embarked by the “Marama” on 14 July 1917 at Avonmouth and arrived at Auckland on 22 August 1917. He had been classified unfit by a Medical Board on 6 July 1917 in England. Discharged on 16 October 1917, he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

In 1919, William Stewart Scott, a soldier, was at the Government Sanatorium at Rotorua. From there he moved to Auckland and took up hairdressing. He married Elizabeth McKinlay in 1922. In time, William and Elizabeth moved to Mosgiel. He died at Wakari Hospital, Dunedin, on 6 October1963, aged 70 years. He was cremated at Andersons Bay Crematorium, Dunedin, and his ashes were scattered. Elizabeth lived until April 2002, dying at Mossbrae Hospital, Mosgiel, 105 years old.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [16 August 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [16 August 2022]; Otago Daily Times, 29 July 1916, 3 August 1916, Lyttelton Times, 23 August 1916, Timaru Herald, 18 August 1917, Evening Star, 22 August 1917 (Papers Past) [16 August 2022; 15 September 2022]; School Admission record (Southland Branch NZSG) [09 September 2022]; Andersons Bay Crematorium, Dunedin, records (Dunedin City Council) [09 September 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.