On Twelfth of July 1919 William Marshall Black had the honour of emulating King William III, upon a white steed, at the first truly representative Twelfth of July celebrations after the Great War.
Dawning a suitable costume, Bro. Black captured the essence of the hero of the Glorious Revolution and the Battle of the Boyne.
He was the first man to dress as King William III in the Belfast Orange celebrations after the Great War.
There was also a deeper significance to this pageantry. William Black served with courage during the recent World War and had been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in 1917.
During the War, he served as a Gunner with the 165th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Attached to the 18th Division, his Battery was in the thick of fighting near the village of St. Julien (France) on the Western front in the Autumn of 1917.
For his “Gallant Conduct and Devotion to Duty” on 22 October 1917, he was awarded the Military Medal.
After the War, William became a publican in Pottinger’s Entry and a local bookmaker.
The Museum of Orange Heritage would like to thank his family for kindly allowing us to display the items you see in this display case.
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