William Keenan

Mr William Keenan was born in Glasgow, Scotland around 1875 but his exact age is unclear¹. He was the son of John Keenan, a labourer.

Keenan was married in Belfast’s Belmont Parish Church on 7 November 1896 to Florinda “Flora” McCann (b. circa 1871). They had five children: Mary Ellen, Charlotte, William, Rachel and Flora. The family, who were from a Church of Ireland background, appears on the 1911 census living at 14 Kincora Street in east Belfast and Keenan was described as a shipyard worker. 

Keenan’s ship prior to Titanic had been the St Stephen. He joined Titanic at Belfast for the delivery trip to Southampton where he then disembarked.

William Keenan spent his last days living at 235 Park Avenue in east Belfast and was widowed in 1956 and also outlived three of his adult children. He died on 11 October 1963 and is buried in Roselawn Cemetery (plot C 51) with his daughter Charlotte (who died in 1981). Curiously his wife, who died only a few priors previous, is buried in Dundonald Cemetery (plot E5 632).