Last updated: 19 December 2009
added: Mixed Claims Commission (in part)
Welcome to The Lusitania Resource! This site is dedicated to the RMS Lusitania and her passengers and crew, the ship whose sinking altered the course of the First World War.
Purpose
* To provide information concerning the RMS Lusitania and her passengers and crew.
* To serve as a hub to related sites.
* To provide a starting point in biographical and genealogical investigations on Lusitania’s passengers and crew.
* To commemorate the Lusitania and the lives of her passengers and crew.
Background
The RMS Lusitania was a British passenger liner of the early twentieth century. During World War I, she was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland by the German submarine U-20 while carrying a great number of Americans and women and children. The sinking and subsequent deaths of civilians and neutral nationals is considered one of the first modern examples of “total war.” The nature of the explosions that sank the ship and the politics surrounding her demise remain controversial topics.
Contrary to popular belief, the Lusitania disaster was not the proximate cause of the United States entering the First World War; however, the Lusitania is often credited for turning the then-neutral American public opinion against Germany. Furthermore, Germany, fearing American wrath, restrained themselves in submarine warfare, which may have been Germany’s best chance at winning the war. Yet, it was Germany’s very resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 that finally forced the United States to declare war.
Philosophy
As the editor I am an avid supporter of having multiple sources in any instance of research. Even though I plan to continue to expand this site’s content, I whole-heartedly support the developments of other Lusitania websites, especially ones that may include whatever is missed here. Should you launch such another Lusitania site on the Internet, let’s do swap links.
Contributions
The Lusitania Resource is an international collaborative effort from Lusitania and ocean liner researchers all over, and contributions to this site are always welcome.
About the Passenger and Crew List
During the time of the Lusitania, Cunard termed first class “saloon class” and termed second class “second cabin” on their ships. This site follows the nomenclature of the times for the passenger manifests, passenger lists, whatever you wish to call them.
This site also assigns passenger residences by the national borders of 1915, so many Poles will be listed as “Russian” and Irish and Canadians listed as “British.” Most of those listed as Russian would have been either Polish or Jewish. Very few Russians traveled to the United States during this time period.
The list contains the names of four people who died soon after the disaster, one came on the official list of dead, but died later than the other three, so all four on the lists are saved.
* McKetchan, Master Campbell, died on 15 September 1915 (He was on the official list among the victims).
* Plank, Mrs. Harriet, died on 31 July 1915.
* Knight, Mr. Charles, died of blood poisoning ten days after the disaster.
Pertaining to couples and families:
* Newlywed nationalities are listed as to where man and wife were from before their marriage. Therefore, Leslie Mason would be listed as American even though her husband Stewart was English.
* If there is insufficient information for all members of a family, that information will usually fall under the biographical entry for the patriarch.
Both are, admittedly, imperfect systems.
Notes
The Lusitania Resource has grown substantially since its inception in Spring 2003. I try to keep the pages current though other commitments may prevent me from so doing. Please let me know of any link or address that has changed so I may keep the information listed here current.
Feedback is always welcome. I try to answer all questions or refer them to other Lusitania scholars.
The addresses of the individual pages may change over time, so please bookmark http://rmslusitania.info
Thank you for visiting.
 This site is dedicated to the RMS Lusitania and all those who built, and those who sailed, on her. |
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