Biography:

Dr. William Ewart Cruickshank was born in Glasgow, Scotland on the 13th of December, 1877.  Dr. Cruickshank was the 2nd of 3 children born to William Cruickshank and the former Catharine Forbes.  He had an older brother named George and a younger sister named Agnes.  According to the 1881 and 1891 census’ Dr. Cruickshank resided at 13 Bruce Street in Stirling, Scotland.

Dr. Cruickshank immigrated to Chatham sometime after 1891 where he finished his public school education.   He graduated from Chatham Collegiate Institute prior to attending university.

Dr. Cruickshank graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1904 and he set up his medical practice in Chatham.  In July of 1904, Dr. Cruickshank became the editor of the Banner-News in Chatham.  He held this position until around 1908.  While acting as the editor, Dr. Cruickshank would occasionally help other physicians.  After his stint as a newspaper editor, Dr. Cruickshank went back to medicine and studied surgery at Glasgow University in Scotland.  He graduated L.R.F.P.S. in 1913.

According to the 1920 and 1930 census’s, Dr. Cruickshank lived in “Westinghouse Village” in Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania, with his wife, the former Jean “Jane” Lyons.  The “Westinghouse Village” was established in 1910 to house the employees of the Westinghouse Electrical plant.  Mrs. Cruickshank was born in Belfast, Ireland on the 8th of December, 1886 the daughter of John Lyons and the former Emily McCormick.  She had a older brother named James Lyons.  Mrs. Cruickshank immigrated to Pennsylvania around 1911 and she listed her occupation as a singer.

On the 27th of April, 1942, Dr. Cruickshank was drafted into WWII.  On his draft registration document, it recorded that he resided at 502 Saudi Ave., in Essington, Delaware County, Pennsylvania and his telephone number was 4143.  Further he was 5’8″ tall, 200 lbs, with hazel eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion.  His occupation was listed as  a physician with a “practice at home”.

Dr. Cruickshank died in Essington, Pennsylvania on the 18th of January, 1959.  Mrs. Cruickshank died at the Burn Brae Hospital in Clifton Heights, Delaware County, Pennsylvania on the 10th of March, 1966.  Her home address was recorded as 502 Saudi Ave., in Essington, Pennsylvania.  Dr. and Mrs. Cruickshank were buried at Lakeview Memorial Cemetery (Section 6, Lot 200) in Riverton, New Jersey.