Wiliam Brotherhood was a civil engineer.

According to William Brotherhood's cemetery lot card for Lot No. 1228 W1/2 for Hollenback Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre, PA that was sent 14 Jan 1991 by John Sedon, Jr., Supt., Hollenback Cemetery, to Find a Grave member #47023500, William was last seen on 25 Oct 1890.

According to a transcription of an article sent to Find a Grave member #47023500 on 10 Nov 1990 by David J. Roarty, Research Assistant, Wyoming Historical and Geological (sic) Society, Wilkes-Barre, entitled "Mr. Brotherhood's Body Identified", printed in the 13 Jun 1891 Wilkes-Barre Record (PA) newspaper, "In the last week of October William Brotherhood, a civil engineer, was missing from his home in the city. Circumstances pointed to his having been drowned in the Susquehanna between Wilkes-Barre and Plymouth and now it is certain that such was the case. Not long ago a body was found in the river, three miles above Northumberland and it has since been identified as that of William Brotherhood from the clothing and articles in the pockets. Voorhis and Murray notified the family last evening of the identification."

According to a letter, dated 27 Oct 1990, from Mr. Roarty to Find a Grave member #47023500, the Wyoming Historical and Geological (sic) Society's partial index for deaths listed in the Wilkes-Barre Record, lists a "William Brotherhood 12 Jun 1891". Apparently, 12 Jun 1891 is the official date of death even though the actual death probably took place in late October, 1890.

The undertakers for William Brotherhood's funeral were Voorhis & Murray of Wilkes-Barre, PA. This information was found on William Brotherhood's above-mentioned Hollenback Cemetery lot card.

Oddly, William Brotherhood's remains were originally buried on 8 Dec 1891 on Lot 1276 N1/2, in Hollenback Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre. This information is from the cemetery lot card. There has been no accounting for the nearly 6 month delay between the finding of the body and its burial.

There is a note of the reverse side of the lot card stating that William's remains were, "Removed from Lot No. 1276 N1/2 to Lot No. 1228 W1/2, Jan 5, 1917. See Permit No 9283. Body removed from Northumberland where his body was found about June 1891 taken from the river."

Through further correspondence in late April and early May, 1991, between Find a Grave member #47023500 and Mr. John Sedon, it was discovered that William's remains were re-interred 5 Jan 1917, as stated above, on lot No. 1228 W1/2, owned by Mrs. Fanny Maria Ross Sturdevant whose daughter, Emmeline R. Brotherhood, was married to William's son, Allan Brotherhood (b 29 Nov 1858-d 22 Jul 1885). Allan's remains, along with those of his brother, Frank G. Brotherhood (b 15 Sep 1860- d 27 Jul 1890), were also re-interred at that time on the same lot.

Mrs. Sturdevant died 29 Apr 1916, in San Jose, CA, and is buried on Lot 1228 W1/2. She apparently wanted her daughter's husband (Allan), father-in-law (William), and brother-in-law (Frank) to be buried on the same lot as her daughter and herself. The source for this information was a note sent 2 May 1991 by Mr. Sedon to Find a Grave member #47023500.

Find a Grave member #47023500 believes that it is possible that William Brotherhood may have been despondent over the deaths of his sons, Allan and Frank, and may have committed suicide by drowning himself in the Susquehanna River. This is merely a theory and to date no hard evidence to prove that this theory is correct has been uncovered.