Mr. Percy W. Seccombe

Percy Seccombe (1895 – 1915), 20, was traveling aboard Lusitania with his older sister Elizabeth. They lived in Peterborough, New Hampshire. The New York Times reported that they were going to visit the old family home in England, but the Mixed Claims Commission states that the brother and sister were en route to England to enlist in Red Cross work. Elizabeth was a British national, having been born in England, whereas Percy was a naturalized United States citizen. Both brother and sister were lost in the Lusitania sinking, and both bodies were recovered and sent back to the United States for burial.

Percy Seccombe was born in England on 4 March 1895, the youngest child of William Simpson Seccombe and Hannah Seccombe. William was born in England in 1847, where he married Hannah in 1874. He left England in 1895 and settled in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and the family joined him in 1897. On 18 May 1898, William became a naturalized citizen of the United States, and Percy, then being only 3 years of age, also became an American citizen. Elizabeth, being over 21 at the time, was not naturalized when her father was, even though she had been living in the United States for 18 years.

William Seccombe served as Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War, 1898 – 1899, at the close of which he was honorably discharged. He was by profession a master mariner, known as Captain W. S. Secombe of the Cunard liner Cephalonia. William died in 1910, leaving a small estate and a large family. Through great industry and strict economy Hannah was able to raise her family and bring them up to be self-supporting.

Elizabeth was the family breadwinner and helped educate several of the younger children, including Percy. Percy had been attending a school through the assistance of his sister Elizabeth.

The New York Times reported that Elizabeth and Percy were traveling aboard Lusitania to visit the old family home in England, but the Mixed Claims Commission states that the brother and sister were en route to England to enlist in Red Cross work. Aboard Lusitania, brother and sister had ticket number 1296 and shared cabin B-35.

Both brother and sister were lost in the Lusitania disaster. His body was recovered, #169, and was cremated and returned to New York City on Monday, 31 May 1915 aboard the SS Lapland with his sister Elizabeth.

Related Pages

Elizabeth and Percy Seccombe at the Mixed Claims Commission

Contributors:
Judith Tavares

References:
Mixed Claims Commission. Docket No. 267. Page 551.