| William MacLurg was the son of Rev Alexander MacLurg and Nannie Nicol MacLurg. William was born in Ardstraw, County Tyrone on 12th September 1897. His mother, Nannie Nicol Leitch, was the daughter of Rev. William Leitch Minister of the United Free Church in Helensburgh. Alexander and Nannie were married in Scotland in 1895.
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| The 1901 census lists William as age 3 living with the family at house 24 in Milltown, Churchlands, Ardstraw, County Tyrone.
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| Family: Alexander MacLurg, Nannie Nicol MacLurg, Katharine Leith MacLurg (born about 1897), William MacLurg (born about 1898), Deborah Mary MacLurg (born about 1901), Anne Harden MacLurg (born about 1903), John MacLurg (born about 1907), Alexander / Alastair MacLurg (born about 1908).
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| The 1911 census does not list William as living with the family at house 9 in Milltown, Churchlands, Tyrone. He was a boarder at the Royal School Dungannon when he studied in 1910 and 1911.
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| William then attended Foyle College.
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| The family moved to Toronto in Canada in 1913. On 7th July 1913, Rev Alexander. MacLurg, M.A., of Ardstraw Presbyterian Church,received the call from Cowan Avenue Presbyterian Church, Toronto.
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| William was working as a clerk for the Gutta l'ercha Company. It is believed Gutta l'ercha was a rigid natural latex produced from the sap from a type of tree,
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| William enlisted in Toronto on 29th September 1915. He was living at 106 Cowan Avenue. He listed his father as his next of kin. He was unusually tall at 6 feet 1 inch.
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| William had been the trenches for four months, and had made it through the battle of Zillebake.
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| Lance Corporal William MacLurg was serving with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry when he was killed in action the second battle of the Somme on 15th September 1916.
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| The telegram from Ottawa reached home in Toronto on the Saturday, but Mrs MacLurg kept the news from her husband until Sunday night, after the evening church service was over. He preached two sermons on the Sunday, unaware of what had happened until his duties were finished that night.
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| The Canadian Circumstances of Death Register records that Lance Corporal MacLurg was killed in action on 15th September 1916. About 6pm that day, during the attack on Courcelette, he was hit on the head and instantly killed by an enemy rifle bullet.
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| From the Toronto Star dated Monday 2 October 1916:
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| Lance Corporal William MacLurg, son of the Rev Alex MacLurg, pastor of Cowan Avenue Presbyterian Church, has been reported killed in action. The telegram from Ottawa reached the home at 106 Cowan Avenue in Saturday, but Mrs MacLurg kept the news from her husband until last night, after the evening church service was over. He preached two sermons yesterday, and was unaware of what had happened until his duties were finished last night. Lance Corporal MacLurg was 19 years old, and was born in Ireland. He attended Foyle College there. Three years ago he came to this city, and was employed by the Gutta l'ercha Company. He had been the trenches for four months, and was through the battle of Zillebake.
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| Lance Corporal MacLurg has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial.
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| Alexander MacLurg with his wife and youngest son, Alastair, returned from Kelowna, Canada in 1926.
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| After a summer at Templemoyle, near Limavady, they went to Sligo where Alexander became Minister of the Presbyterian Church.
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| The CWGC record Lance Corporal William MacLurg as the son of the Rev A MacLurg and Mrs N N MacLurg of The Manse, Sligo, Ireland.
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| After the death of his sister Anna in 1928 he moved to Tobermore Presbyterian Church to be nearer to Templemoyle, which he now owned having bought out his sister Martha's share with the help of the money received from the sale of the out farm at the Braes. He died from pernicious anaemia in 1934 aged 65.
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| Many thanks to Paul Kerr and the Royal School Dungannon for his research and all the information provided. Lance Corporal William MacLurg is listed on page 39 of the Royal School Dungannon WWI book.
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