WILLIAM J. MAGUIRE was born in Washington, D.C. around 1852. by the late 1870s he was living in Camden, New Jersey. The 1878-1879 City Directory shows him living at 209 Taylor Avenue. By the following year he had moved to 210 Washington Street. He worked as an oysterman and as a waterman. William J. Maguire was still unmarried when the 1880 Census was taken. By 1882 he had begin working as a fireman. 

On April 5, 1882 William J. Maguire was appointed to the Camden Fire Department as an extra man with the Hook and Ladder Company, taking the place of John D. Cooper. William J. Maguire served for two years. He was replaced by Joseph C. Prickett in 1884. William J. Maguire married during the early 1880s. A son, also named William, was born in October of 1884. The Maguires lived at 210 Washington Street as late as 1887.

City Directories  for 1887-1888 and 1888-1889 show William J. Maguire at 839 Bridge Avenue. The 1891-1892 edition gives his address as 1027 Penn Street. Directories from 1895 through 1898 list him at 817 Line Street.

The 1899 City Directory and the 1900 Census shows William J. Maguire living at 717 Blaine Street with his wife Adarine. Their son William C. Maguire was also at home. William J. Maguire was then working as a laborer as an oilcloth factory. The Maguires were still at 717 Blaine Street when the 1906 City Directory was compiled. By 1906 William J. Maguire was working as an oilcloth examiner.

The 1910 Census shows William J. Maguire boarding at 813 Line Street. He was then retired. However, this apparently did not suit him. By 1914 William J. Maguire had left Camden. The 1920 Census shows that he had taken a job at the Camden County Almshouse at Lakeland in Gloucester Township. He was still working there as late as April of 1930.

William J. Maguire passed away on October 17, 1935.