Mr William Henry Saundercock, known as Willie, was born in St Austell, Cornwall, England on 18 September 1892.
He was the son of Richard Wellington Saundercock (b. 1864), a farm labourer, and Kate Burley (b. 1863), both Cornwall natives who were married in 1888.
One of six children, William’s siblings were: Olive (1889-1975), Elsie (1890-1962, later Mrs Arthur Matthews), Augustus (1894-1968), Edith (1897-1948, later Mrs Walter Nancarrow) and Milly (1899-1961, later Mrs William Martin).
He first appears on the 1901 census living with his family at Bohago (near Creed), Cuby, Cornwall and his father was described as a rabbit trapper. By the time of the 1911 census the family had moved to Penwithick, St Austell and William and his brother Augustus were described as China Clay labourers and his father as a China Clay washer.
A Freemason and observer of Temperance, Saundercock was a member of St Austell’s Rechabite Lodge for a number of years, introducing his friend and colleague Ernest Cann to the movement in 1912. Saundercock was also heavily involved with the Wesleyan Church and its Sunday School.
Saundercock embarked Titanic at Southampton as a third class passenger (ticket number 2151, £8 1s) along with Ernest Cann of St Austell; they may have also been acquainted with William Nancarrow, another clay labourer from St Austell, and William John Matthews.
Their destination in the USA is certain but local media reported that Saundercock was to be met by a colleague who had crossed the Atlantic several months prior. Before leaving both men were presented with a Sunday School teacher’s Bible.
William Saundercock was lost in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
Mr. William Sandercock, eldest of the family of Mr. and Mrs. R. Sandercock, prior to his leaving the neighbourhood was connected with the Wesleyan Church and Sunday School, where he made a large circle of friends by his amiable and courteous disposition. He was also a popular reciter at the local Band of Hope meetings, where he is being missed. His workmate, who left the neighbourhood some months ago, promised to meet him on landing at New York.
William’s parents were awarded a grant of £20 from the Mansion House Relief Fund.
Following the disaster both his parents continued to reside in St Austell; his mother passed away in 1920 and his father in 1933. His last surviving sibling was his eldest sister Olive who remained a spinster and passed away in 1975. By coincidence, his sister Edith (1897-1948) was married in 1918 to Walter Nancarrow (1900-1951) who was the son of Titanic victim, William Henry Nancarrow.
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