William G. Winstanley

Introduction

William G. Winstanley was born in 1924 to John and Sarah Winstanley, at 228 Byron Street in the Poet’s Row section of North Camden. His father, born in England, had come to the USA in 1895 and settled in North Camden. The family lived at 421 Erie Street when the Census was taken in 1900. John Winstanley worked in the nearby shipyards as a carpenter and as a caulker.

The Winstanley family was living at 225 Burns Street in the Poet’s Row section when the 1910 Census was enumerated. The family then included children John Jr., Mary, Richard, Joseph and a newborn, Thomas Winstanley. John Winstanley left the shipyards for a short time, the 1914 City Directory listing him at 1000 Segal Street where he operated a variety store. By September of 1918 both he and John Jr. were working as ship’s carpenter and helper respectively, at the William Cramp and Son Dry Dock in Philadelphia. Still in Poet’s Row, the family had moved to 228 Milton Street around the corner. The 1920 Census shows the family had added two daughters, Elizabeth and Lydia. The 1924 and 1927 City Directories shows the family at 228 Byron Street, still in Poet’s Row.

The 1929 City Directory lists John and Sarah Winstanley at 8 Church Street in East Camden, but by April of 1930 the family had returned to Burns Street, this time at 232 Burns. The Census of 1930 reveals that three more children, Florence, Anna, and William, had arrived. Thomas Winstanley, then the oldest child still at home, was working as a painter in one of the nearby shipyards. On November 16, 1940 he was appointed to the Camden Fire Department, where he would serve for over 30 years, retiring as a Captain on November 1, 1972.

After completing one year of high school, William G. Winstanley enlisted in the United States Army on August 5, 1943. Returning home after the end of World War II, William G. Winstanley went to work as a shipfitter at the Penn Jersey shipyard in North Camden. By the time the 1947 City Directory was compiled, his father had passed away. William G. Winstanley was still single, and living with his widowed mother and sister Florence at 831 North 6th Street in North Camden.

William G. Winstanley joined his older brother as a member of the Camden Fire Department on February 1, 1951. He served for almost 36 years, also retiring as a Captain, on January 1, 1987.

William Winstanley lived his last years at the New Jersey Firemen’s Home in Boonton, New Jersey, where he passed away on November 13, 2013.

37 Camden Men Pass Tests for City Firemen

Camden Courier-Post — December 9, 1949

List of 37 men who passed the Civil Service test for fireman in Camden — Thirty-seven candidates have passed the Civil Service test for fireman in the Camden City fire department. Thirty-two of those who qualified are former service men and three of them, disabled veterans, were placed at the top of the list under the preference given by law.

Joseph T. Hackett, of 158 Branch Village, is listed first, Owen D. Gale, 320 Marlton avenue, second and August L. Johnson, 916½ Chestnut street, third.

The salary on Jan. 1 will begin at $2400 and reach a maximum of $3160 after four years.

Following is the complete list of those who qualified in the test:

Joseph T. Hackett, 158 Branch Village; Owen D. Gale, 320 Marlton avenue; August L. Johnson, 916 Chestnut street; Harry Sterling, 112 Ablett Village; Albert A. Stinger, 1423 Bradley avenue; Jesthroe Hunt, 753 Walnut street; Harold H. Pike, 429 Penn street; Roy R. Moffa, 216 Morse street; Allen F. Hess, 2733 Sherman avenue; Franklin W. Whylings, 602 North Thirty-second street; William L. Gosnell, 3303 Crescent drive; David W. Humphries, 3017 Mickle street; William G. Winstanley, 510 Penn street; Joshua H. Robinson, 1934 Kossuth street; Henry S. Keubler, 936 Broadway; Adolph S. Zubrzycki, 1223 South Tenth street; Ralph H. Palmer, 585 Mickle street; Alexander P. Matis, 903 Haddon avenue; Earl G. Robinson, 1036 Penn street; Anthony J. DiMaggio, 530 South Eighth street; Earl A. Smith Sr., 201 Biedeman avenue; Philip J. MacDonald, 123 North Eleventh street; Robert P. Olesiewicz, 321 Mt. Vernon street; Eugene E. Demers, 2034 High street; Chester J. Gedrich, 1154 Thurman street; John F. Chudzinski, 1043 Thurman street; Samuel D. Siniscalki, 803 Line street; Santo DiMaggio, 319 Beckett street; Ludwig Polniak, 471 Pfeiffer street; George P. Baxter, 817 Howard street; Ralph F. Schaeffer, Canterbury apartments; Joseph J. McTaggart, 3135 Waldorf avenue; Louis J. Monahan, Canterbury apartments; John DiMaggio, 319 Beckett street; William N. Stone Jr., 950 Vine street; Casper J. Martelli, 220 Mt. Vernon street; and H. Raymond Dixon, 439 Trenton avenue.

Firemen Here Get Advanced First Aid Course

Camden Courier-Post — August 19, 1957

More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter’s first aid committee.

Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.

All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and Truck Company 1. These groups include:

Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and Albert Weller; Edward Brendlinger, Harrison Macneir, Robert Olesiewicz and James W. Smith.

Headquarters Company: Raymond Banford, John K. Voll and John W. Yates.

Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and Otto V. Kaiser; William Watkin, Chester Gedrich, George Baxter, John Mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, Joseph McTaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and Elmer Johnson Jr.