Albert Herman (1889 – 1915), 26, was a British subject who worked as an able seaman for the deck crew of the Lusitania’s last voyage. Herman was lost in the Lusitania sinking. This biography was made possible by Peter Kelly and a collaboration with the Merseyside Maritime Museum.
Biography
Albert Herman was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 15 April 1889, the son of Julius and Adeline Herman of 114 Rimrose Road, Bootle, Lancashire. His father was a commercial traveller in the wines and spirits trade. While still quite a young boy, he began training to be a career seaman, and eventually qualified to become an able seaman.
On 9 February 1910, at the age of 22 years, Albert Herman married Elizabeth “Eli” Strain, at the Parish Church of St. Leonard, in Bootle. His new bride was aged 19 years. They set up home at 45, Moore Street, Bootle, where their first child, a son named Julian Albert was born on the 8 October 1910, followed by a daughter named Adeline Elizabeth, born on 11 August 1913.
Albert Herman signed on as an able seaman in the Deck Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool on 12 April 1915 at a monthly wage of £5-10s-0d., (£5.50p.). He had sailed on the vessel before. At this time, the family was living at 38, Chelsea Road, Litherland, Lancashire.
He reported for duty at 7 a.m. on the morning of 17 April, the day the liner left Liverpool for the last time and he was killed when she was sunk, just three weeks later. As his body was never found and identified afterwards, his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 26 years.
Cunard paid all seamen who were on board until 8 May 1915, 24 hours after the Lusitania went down, irrespective of whether they had survived or not, and in August 1915, Elizabeth Herman received the sum of £5, from the company, which was the balance of wages owing to him.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted an annual pension to Eli Herman to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £23-16s-8d. (£23.83½p.) which was payable at the rate of £1-19s-9d. (£1.98½p.) per month.
On the 18 October 1915, his widow married another merchant seaman, named Evan Williams in Liverpool. She had another five children by her second marriage.
Links of interest
Albert Herman at the Merseyside Maritime Museum
Contributors
Thomas Derbyshire
Peter Kelly, Ireland
Ellie Moffat, UK
References
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths
1891 Census of England and Wales
1901 Census of England and Wales
1911 Census of England and Wales
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Cunard Records
PRO BT 100/345
UniLiv. PR 13/24
PRO BT 334.
You must log in to post a comment.