William was one of Sunshine’s local tailors. He opened his first shop in Hampshire Rd before moving to a new shop and residency in Dickson St.

 

William was born on the 4th October 1854 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. His parents were Robert Armour & Mary Armour Nee Train. He had eight siblings, all remained in Scotland.

 

William met his future wife Maria Elizabeth Ransom in Invercargill, New Zealand. Maria was born in East Collingwood on the 21st January 1855.

 

William married Maria at Beaufort, Victoria on the 6th December 1886.

 

Over the next 10 years, William and Maria moved around Victoria, Beaufort, to Collingwood, to Beechworth and finally to Wangaratta where their last two children were born.

 

William and Maria had six children, Mary Adelaide “Ada” (b8/10/1887 Beaufort d29/4/1975), Helen Marion “May” (b2/12/1888 Collingwood d12/12/1973), Alice Edith (b15/2/1890 Wangaratta d27/2/1892), Evaline Violet “Daisy” (b29/7/1892 Beechworth d4/8/1982), Robert “Bob” William (b10/8/1894 Wangaratta d17/9/1948) & Agnes Ruby (b26/1/1896 Wangaratta d30/11/1970).

 

In 1901, William announced that he was taking over the “The Palace Tailoring Company” in Wangaratta. He had 30 thirty year of experience in tailoring including working in London & Glasgow and at Haigh's in Collins St, Melbourne. Maria later set up a confectioning shop there.

 

In 1909, William and his family moved from Wangaratta to live in Sunshine, so his son Robert had somewhere to stay after he found an apprenticeship as a fitter & turner work with H.V. McKays. Prior to William arriving in Sunshine, Robert was staying at Lizzie Beale’s boarding house in Hampshire Rd, Sunshine. Robert would later serve with the A.I.F. in WW1.

 

In the early years in Sunshine, William and his family lived in Dawson St with his tailoring business shop in Hampshire Rd.

 

In 1923, he moved his tailoring business & home to a new shop & residency in Dickson, behind the Post Office. This building was demolished in 1938/39 to make way for the new Sunshine Advocate Art Deco building.

 

William would sit in the front window of his shop whilst carrying out his tailoring. He regularly advertised his business in the Sunshine Advocate Newspaper with “All suits being made on the property in Dickson St, Sunshine”.

 

In 1924/25, William’s wife, Maria, opened a confectionary store next to his tailoring business.

 

In 1920's, William built a motor car garage business in Station Place on the corner of Dickson St, Sunshine.

 

His son, Robert “Bob” and his partner Raymond Rohner operated the garage business in the late 1920's and into the early 1930's. Raymond was Robert’s brother-in-law after marrying his sister, Agnes “Ruby”.

 

William started closing his tailoring business in 1930 and advertised he was disposing of his surplus stock. This was about the time when his wife became ill. In 1932, Mr F. H. Howell, a Melbourne tailor bought his business.

 

William’s wife, Maria Elizabeth died at her daughter’s house, Agnes “Ruby” Rohner on the 1st September 1931, Aged 76.

 

William died from "Coronary Embolism" at his daughter Evaline’s house in Welshpool, Victoria. He had been living there for the last three years of his life.

 

In the years while he resided in Sunshine, he acquired a number of residential lots including Appleby Crt, Dawson St, Devonshire Rd & Dickson St.

 

William was active in the community as he was a member of the Sunshine Bowling Club and an executive member of the East Sunshine Progress Association. Both William & Maria regularly donated money to the local sporting clubs.

 

William is buried in the Footscray Cemetery with his wife.

 

1912 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1913 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1913 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1914 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1914 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1915 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1915 Hampshire Rd East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1916 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1916 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1917 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1917 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1918 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1918 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1919 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1919 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1920 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1920 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1921 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1921 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1922 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1922 Dawson St, East Side Armour, Robert William

1922 Hampshire Rd, East Side Armour, William - Tailor

1923 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1923 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1924 Dawson St, East Side Armour, William

1924 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1925 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1925 Dickson St, South Side Armour, Mrs Maria Elizabeth - Confectionist

1926 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1926 Dickson St, South Side Armour, Mrs Maria Elizabeth - Confectionist

1927 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1927 Dickson St, South Side Armour, Mrs Maria Elizabeth - Confectionist

1928 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1928 Dickson St, South Side Armour, Mrs Maria Elizabeth - Confectionist

1929 14 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1929 12 Dickson St, South Side Armour, Mrs Maria Elizabeth - Confectionist

1930 14 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1931 12-14 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William - Tailor

1933 12-14 Dickson St, South Side Armour, William – Tailor

 

Ref: Sunshine Advocate

Ref: Sands & McDougall Directories

Ref: Victoria Birth, Deaths & Marriages

Ref: S&DHS