Charlotte Luck (1879 – 1915), 34, was a mother traveling with her two sons Elbridge, 12, and Kenneth, 8. Their home was in Worcester, Massachusetts, but Charlotte’s husband Arthur Luck was a mining engineer whose business took him to England. Charlotte and her sons’ ticket number was 10541 and they stayed in cabin D-61. Charlotte and her sons were lost in the Lusitania sinking on 7 May 1915, none of their bodies were recovered or identified.
Life
Charlotte was born on 1 December 1879, the second daughter of Alfred Bishop Field and Frances E. Lapham Field. She had an older brother, Alfred Gerry Field, and an older sister, Frances Ann Field, the latter who was not married as of 1924.
As of 1915, Charlotte’s mother Frances resided in San Francisco, California. When Charlotte’s husband Arthur was abroad on business, Charlotte took her children with her to live with her mother. Arthur’s business also provided some income for which Charlotte to support her widowed mother. Charlotte’s sister Frances also provided some support for their mother.
At the time of the deaths of Charlotte and her sons, her mother was past 70 and her husband was 40.
Lusitania
While traveling aboard Lusitania‘s last voyage, the Lucks were acquainted with fellow passengers Blish and Maude Thompson.
When the ship was sinking, the Thompsons had just reached the boat deck with their lifebelts and saw Harry and Mary Keser and Charlotte Luck and her two sons.
Blish Thompson saw that Charlotte Luck did not have a lifebelt, so he gave her his. A crewman went past them shouting, “the ship is perfectly safe. You are all right”.
Maude also heard someone calling from the bridge, “lower no more boats.”
Despite having Blish’s lifebelt, Charlotte Luck did not survive, nor did her sons Elbridge and Kenneth.
When body #243, male, age 4 years, 1st Class passenger was recovered, Arthur Luck went to court to claim the body as his son Kenneth’s when Beatrice Witherbee had identified the body as belonging to her son, Alfred. Beatrice won the case, and the body was buried in the Old Church Cemetery as Alfred Scott Witherbee in private grave #616.
Arthur Luck and Frances Field took their cases to the Mixed Claims Commmission, where Mr. Luck was awarded $20,000 for the loss of his family. Charlotte’s mother was awarded $5,000 for the loss of her daughter’s financial support.
Related pages
Charlotte, Elbridge, and Kenneth Luck at the Mixed Claims Commission
Links of interest
Encyclopedia Titanica – Lest We Forget: Part 1
Contributors
Jim Kalafus, USA
Brian Mathewson, USA
Mary Mathewson, USA
Marc Noack, Germany
Michael Poirier, USA
References
Mixed Claims Commission. Docket No. 7, page 355.
Kalafus, Jim and Michael Poirier (2005) Lest We Forget : Part 1 ET Research. <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/lusitania-lest-we-forget.html>
Mathewson, Brian & Mary Mathewson. “Field – Lapham.” The Wests of Central Indiana. Online. Accessed 13 May 2013. <http://www.treesprout.com/west/field-lapham.html>.
Hello everyone. Please take a look at this: http://www.treesprout.com/west/field-lapham.html This site indicates that Mrs. Luck was born Charlotte Louise Field on December 1, 1879 to Alfred Bishop Field and Frances Ellen Lapham. She had a brother, Alfred Gerry Field. Best regards, Marc Noack (Germany)