William was born in Gateshead in 1816, the son of engineer Robert Affleck. He served his apprenticeship at Hawkes & Son, a large engineering works and iron foundry at Gateshead before joining the prestigious Lambeth based engineering firm of Maudsley & Field. He left Maudsley's to take up an appointment with the GWR in Paddington and in 1842 moved to 33 Exeter Street and a job at the Swindon Works.
In 1853 William struck out on his own, establishing a foundry and engineering works in Prospect, Old Swindon on land previously owned by James Strange. The business flourished and the 1861 census records William 45, a machinist and coal merchant, employing 17 men and 3 boys. William and his wife lived alongside the works in Prospect Place with their growing family - Ann 16, Robert 15, William J. 6, Frederick 2 and four month old Frank.
William made his will on July 4, 1894, just weeks before his death. He appointed his eldest son Robert as executor along with his accountant Enoch Smith of Sandringham Villa, Eastcott Lane and John Joseph Jervis, manager of the Gas Works in Queen Street.
William's will gave his executors permission to "sell the whole of the premises known as the Prospect Engineering Works together with all the shops machinery tools and goodwill of the business and the dwelling house and appurtenances."
William died on July 29, 1894 at Manor Farm, Ashbury, where he had spent the last weeks of a long illness. His obituary published in the Advertiser described him as "another of Swindon's men of mark - as well known and liked a man as it is possible to be found."
Just five years before his death he was presented "with a very striking and life-like portrait of himself" purchased with the proceeds of a subscription raised by local tradesmen.
His funeral took place at Christ Church on Thursday August 2 and was attended by Old Swindon tradesmen including W. Reynolds, boot manufacturer and local builder Thomas Turner. The service was conducted by Rev C.F. Goddard (curate in charge). His wife Maria died 18 years later and is buried with her husband in the churchyard.
William's two sons Frederick Samuel Hahnemann Affleck and Theodore Sykes Affleck bought the business for £3,000. An advertisement in the 1908 North Wilts and District Directory reads Fred. & T. Affleck - Steam, Gas and Motor Engineers, Millwrights & Machinist, Iron & Brass Founders Steam Thrashing Machine Proprietors, Boilermakers etc and 'Sole Agents in the District for the "Vollmar" Washing Machine.
In 1915 the firm was sold to the Swindon Engineering Works Ltd. The new owners negotiated the right to continue to use the name of F & T Affleck and operated under the management of Theodore.
The company ceased trading in 1922. The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co Ltd bought the Prospect site for £2,750 and today it continues to be used as a transport depot, home to Stagecoach buses.
The Affleck sons all lived to a ripe old age. Robert was 94 years old when he died in 1940. A report in the Advertiser described him as tall and upright and that up until his death he was still often seen walking in Swindon and the surrounding countryside.
Robert was buried close to the chapel in Radnor Street Cemetery with his father in law who had died more than forty years previously. His wife Agnes died in 1942 and was buried with her husband and father.
In his will Robert left more than £11,500 worth today somewhere in the region of £1.5 million. The pink granite headstone on the grave is decorated with entwined ivy leaves, a symbol of friendship, fidelity and immortality.
Examples of the Affleck's ironmongery can still be spotted about town by the observant pedestrian. Drain covers survive in the George Street and Birch Street areas while the one shown here was snapped in Crombey Street.
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