Arthur Mathews, 38, was a British citizen from Montréal, Québec, Canada. His ticket for Lusitania was 13168. His cabin aboard the ship was B-94. Mathews survived the Lusitania sinking.
According to family history, Mathews was from the UK but had emigrated to Canada. When his sister Harriet Matilda Colston (nee Mathews) was widowed and left with 4 sons to raise, Arthur was returning to UK on Lusitania and would take her two eldest sons back to Canada with him.
After the Lusitania sinking, Mathews was nursed back to health, married his nurse and returned to Canada without the boys.
Mathews returned to North America aboard the American Line’s St. Louis on 7 June 1915. A photo from the Bettman Archive shows him with fellow Lusitania survivors Richard Taylor, Charles Hardwick, and Robert Rankin.
Contributors:
Daphne Birkby (grandniece of Arthur Mathews)
References:
“Survivors of Lusitania Disaster.” Corbis Images. Web. 27 July 2011. <http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U28172INP/survivors-of-lusitania-disaster>.
We are wondering if this Arthur T Mathews was the brother of our Grandmother Harriet
Matilda Colston (nee Mathews born 25th Mar 1870. After she was widowed and left with 4 sons to raise, the story has come down through the family that her brother, who had emigrated to Canada, was returning to UK on Lusitania and would be taking her two eldest sons back to Canada with him. The story continues that although he survived the sinking, he was nursed back to health, married his nurse and returned to Canada minus the boys, one of which was to have been my father.
He may be the person you are looking for, as I do not see any other people named Mathews (with one T) on the passenger or crew list. Would you be able to compare him to a picture of these men here for sure, or do you know if he left an account of the sinking? Please let me know if that is the case, and I can update Mathews’ biography accordingly.
http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U28172INP/survivors-of-lusitania-disaster
Re your response. Afraid the only info is that which I have given and this came down through the family. It may be wishful thinking, but the A T Mathews as featured in the photo does bear resemblance to a picture we have (old 1903) showing another brother of our Grandmothers. I am hoping that perhaps some relatives of A T Mathews in Canada may see the photo also and make contact.
Regards Daphne Birkby (nee Colston)