Stephen Crompton (1901 – 1915), 14, was the eldest son of Paul and Gladys Crompton. The family was returning home to England after living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Crompton party consisted of Paul and Gladys, their children Stephen, Alberta, Catherine, Paul (called Romilly), John, and Peter, and the children’s nurse Dorothy Allen. The entire family and their nurse was lost in the Lusitania disaster on 7 May 1915.
Life
Stephen Hugh Crompton was born in Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East in 1901. His father traveled much for his job with the Booth Group, explaining his birth so far from the family’s native England.
His sister Alberta was born in South America in 1903. Another sister, Catherine was born in London, England around 1905. The three youngest brothers were born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Paul Romilly Crompton was born in 1904; John David Crompton was born in 1909; Peter Romilly Crompton was born in Philadelphia in 1914.
Lusitania
Paul Crompton was shipping sheepskin accouterments for the British Army aboard Lusitania‘s final voyage. The Crompton’s ticket for the voyage was 46081. Paul and Gladys stayed in cabin D-56. Stephen, Alberta, and John stayed in D-58. Catherine, Romilly, and Peter stayed in D-60 with their nanny, Dorothy Allen. The Crompton family had been so loud that their neighbor, Theodate Pope in D-54, requested to be moved to another cabin.
The entire Crompton family was lost in the Lusitania disaster when the German submarine U-20 torpedoed the ship on 7 May 1915. Dorothy Allen and two or three of the children may have been the nanny and children who Wallace Phillips saw rushing into the B deck foyer, shouting, “Torpedo!” as the torpedo was about to hit the ship.
Samuel Knox saw the Cromptons during the disaster, relating later:
I saw Paul Crompton, of Chestnut Hill, with four of his little children. He was tying to fasten a belt around the smallest, a mere baby.
One of his two older daughters, a girl of about 12, was having trouble with the belt she was trying to put on by herself. ‘Please will you show me how to fix this?’ she asked unconcernedly. I adjusted it, and she thanked me.
The bodies of Stephen, John, and Peter were recovered. All 6 children, their parents and nurse died. Per the list of interments, Master John Crompton was body #192, age 6 years, grave #482; Master Peter Crompton was body #214, age 9 months, grave #482; Mr. Stephen Crompton was body #134, age 17 years, grave #482.
A picture of Mrs. Crompton and the children appeared in The New York Times, Sunday, 9 May 1915, page 6.
Links of interest
Paul Crompton at Biographies of Interesting People
Encyclopedia Titanica: Lest We Forget – Part 1
Contributors
J.J. Heath-Caldwell
Jim Kalafus
Michael Poirier
Mike Redwood
Judith Tavares
References
Heath-Caldwell, J.J. “Paul Crompton.” Biographies of Interesting People. Web. 4 August 2011. <http://www.jjhc.info/cromptonpaul1915.htm>.
Kalafus, Jim and Michael Poirier (2005) Lest We Forget : Part 1 ET Research. <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/lusitania-lest-we-forget.html>
“Lucy Henrietta Romilly.” ThePeerage.com. Web. 4 August 2011. <http://thepeerage.com/p20415.htm#i204145>.
Redwood, Mike. “The Booth Group.” Mike Redwood. Web. 4 August 2011. <http://www.mikeredwood.com/booth_group>.
Stephen Crompton was born July 19, 1901. After one hundred years people are still listing him as being 17. This should clear up matters once and for all.
Alberta Crompton was born March 14, 1903, Catherine Crompton was born August 23, 1904.