John Brown, 57, was the joiner aboard Lusitania and perished in the Lusitania sinking. A British subject, at the time of the Lusitania disaster, Brown lived in Liverpool, England, and was married and had 9 children. This biography is made possible by a collaboration with Peter Kelly and the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool.
John Manson George Brown was born in Stromness, on the Island of Orkney, Scotland, on 9 August 1857, the son of William G. and Catherine Brown. His father was a carpenter by trade; however, he later became a spirit merchant.
John and his older brother William both followed their father’s trade of carpentry, specialising in becoming ship’s carpenters.
On the 12 August 1886 John married Margaret Temple in the Church of St John the Baptist, Toxteth Park, Liverpool, and they went on to have seven children. In 1915 the family lived at 2 Weldon Street, Walton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England.
He engaged as Joiner in the Deck Department on board the Lusitaniaat Liverpool, on 12 April 1915 at a monthly rate of pay of £8-5s-0d, (£8.25) and reported for duty on the morning of 17 April before the liner left Liverpool for the last ever time.
He was killed after the liner was torpedoed, three weeks later and as his body was not amongst those recovered and identified afterwards he has no known grave.
Consequently he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 57 years.
In August 1915 his widow Margaret was finally paid the balance of wages owing to him for the Lusitania’s last voyage. It represented his service from 17 April 1915 until 8 May, 24 hours after the liner had sunk.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to Margaret Brown to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £35-1s-5d (£35.074) which was payable at the rate of £2-16s-6d (£2.82½) per month.
Links of interest
John Brown at the Merseyside Maritime Museum
Contributors:
Chris Pederson-Brown (great-grandson of John Brown)
Peter Kelly, Ireland
Ellie Moffat, UK
References:
Register of Births
Marriages and Deaths
1861 Census of Scotland
1871 Census of Scotland
1901 Census of England and Wales
1911 Census of England and Wales
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Cunard Records
PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334
UniLiv. PR 13/24.
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