In September 1969, the city of Londonderry — or Derry — was already a flashpoint for growing tension in Northern Ireland. Civil rights marches, clashes between communities, and increasing mistrust between Protestants, Catholics, and the authorities were setting the stage for what would become known as The Troubles.
Among the first to lose his life in that volatile period was William King, a 49-year-old Protestant civilian who lived in the Fountain area of Londonderry. During violent street disturbances near London Street, he was attacked by a nationalist crowd. William King collapsed and later died — the official cause recorded as a heart attack following a beating.
Though his death did not result from a paramilitary attack, it carried deep symbolic meaning. To many in the Protestant and unionist community, King became one of the first civilian victims of the Troubles — a tragic marker of the division and chaos that were about to engulf Northern Ireland for nearly three decades.
This video explores the story of William King — who he was, how he died, and why his case has been largely forgotten outside Derry. It also places his death within the wider timeline of 1969: a year that saw the Battle of the Bogside, the deployment of British troops, and the collapse of trust between communities.
🎥 What You’ll Learn in This Video:
The social and political tensions in Derry before the Troubles
How street violence in 1969 spiraled into a wider conflict
The details surrounding William King’s death
How early victims like King shaped local memory and identity
Why some stories from the first days of the Troubles are rarely remembered today
🕊️ William King’s death reminds us that every conflict begins with ordinary people caught in extraordinary times.
📚 Sources & Research:
Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN), University of Ulster
Historical Enquiries Team Report (UK Government)
Pat Finucane Centre, Migration and the Forgotten Dead (2018)
BBC Archives & Getty Images
Eyewitness accounts and local oral history from the Fountain and Bogside communities
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