Biographical Sketch of

William Bannerman

Transcribed by Sandra Boudrou for the Marquette Co WI Pages


Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, 
published 1890 by Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, Pages 827 - 828


William Bannerman, who is a manager and also one of the principal stockholders of the Berlin Granite Company, was 
born in Inverury, Scotland, on the 11th of December, 1842, and is descended from an illustrious family of that country.  
The name Bannerman was first used as a family name after the battle of Bannockburn.  The progenitors of the family were 
standard bearers in the army of the Scottish King, and at the aforesaid battle were stationed on a hill in the rear of 
the troops.  When the columns began to break and victory seemed doubtful, they rushed to the front, shouting and waving 
their colors.  The enemy, seeing them rushing on, thought re-enforcements had arrived and gave way.  Thus the noble men 
won the name which has descended through generation after generation.
 
Robert and Agnes (McNicol) Bannerman, the parents of our subject, were both natives of Scotland, the birth of the former 
having occurred in the Northern part of that country, while the latter was born in Inverury.  The father was Superintendent 
of granite quarries for many years and built a number of the most important light-houses along the coast of Scotland.  
His death occurred at the age of seventy years, while the maternal grandfather of our subject lived to the advanced age 
of one hundred years.  Eleven children were born to Robert and Agnes Bannerman, but only two are living in this country:  
William and John, the latter, being also a stockholder in the Berlin Granite Company.
 
Our subject received a good education in his native land, but had to walk four miles to the school house.  After his 
elementary studies were completed, he spent some time in the study of that branch of mathematics which applies to the 
measurement of masonry.  He worked at stone-cutting and also was his father's book-keeper until nineteen years of age, 
when he began business for himself.  He had become so familiar with quarrying that on the sickness of his father he 
was enabled to discharge the duties of superintendent of a quarry for a year to the complete satisfaction of the company.  
He first left his native land in 1866, when he went to Russia, where he was employed in getting out the stone used in 
paving the streets of Odessa.
 
On his return to Scotland, Mr. Bannerman was united in marriage March 25, 1870, with Catherine C. Thackery, daughter of 
William and Ann (Ewing) Thackery.  Her father was a native of England but when a young man went to Scotland, where he was 
married.  He was a weaver by trade and in his adopted country became identified with a large manufacturing establishment.  
Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thackery, seven sons and four daughters, but only two are residents of the United 
States:  George, who is a member of the Berlin Granite Company; and Mrs. Bannerman, who was born in Aberdeen County, Scotland, 
Jan. 14, 1851.
 
In 1871, Mr. Bannerman came with his wife to America, and remained in Massachusetts for a short time previous to coming 
West.  After working for some time in Chicago, Ill., and Montello, Wis., he opened the Utley Granite quarry for the Green 
Lake Granite Company, and occupied the position of Superintendent for two years.  In 1885, he was employed by the Wisconsin 
Granite Company to open a quarry at Berlin and was Superintendent of it for two seasons.  Through his instrumentality, the 
Berlin Granite Company of which he is now Superintendent was organized in 1887, and its property is steadily increasing in 
value.  This company has a splendid quarry of dark granite at Berlin, where are employed about forty men and an excellent 
red granite quarry situated about eleven miles northwest of the city.  Through his judicious and able management those 
quarries have yielded a good income to the stockholders of the company.  With railroad facilities, the red granite quarries 
above mentioned are certain to become very valuable.  Eight children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Bannerman, namely:  
William T., Robert C., Agnes C., Mary A., Catherine C., George, Charles R. and Ann E., who died at the age of one year.
 
Mr. Bannerman is one of the valued citizens of the community, as well in social as in business circles.  Both he and his 
wife are members of the Presbyterian Church and take an active part in the advancement of its interests.  Whatever tends 
to the upbuilding of the community and the increase of morality, he gives his heartiest support.  He is President of the 
Y. M. C. A. of Berlin and is a man of charitable and benevolent impulses, though his many acts of kindness are performed 
without ostentation or display.  He has allied himself with no political party but is pronounced in his views as a supporter 
of free trade principles and civil service reform.  Green Lake County has no more loyal citizen than William Bannerman, nor 
one who feels more interest in her free institutions, yet he retains a deep and abiding love for Scotland as the land of his 
birth, and has eleven times visited that country, while his family has five times accompanied him.
 

Transcriber's Note: Read more about the history of Redgranite and the Bannerman's on the village of Redgranite's website.
 





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