William Stainton, 37, was the valet to Broadway impresario Charles Frohman. He was a British subject and lived in New York City, New York. He traveled on the same ticket as Frohman, 46052, but stayed in a separate cabin, B-61. He was on the C deck level of the dining room with George Slingsby, Emily Davis, and Annie Walker when the torpedo hit. William Stainton was lost in the Lusitania disaster, just one month before his 38th birthday. His body was recovered, #199.
Life
William Stainton was born in June 1877 in the village of Etton near Beverley, Yorkshire, England. However, on shipping records, Stainton stated that he was born in Pontefract, Yorkshire.
William went into service with a local family in the High Hall, Etton. He later became a valet and later took a post in Hampshire with Lt Colonel Arthur Jones CB, the equerry to Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Jones had many friends and connections in the theater world, so when Jones died in 1911, William found work with Charles Frohman, taking over the post previously occupied for ten years by Henry Tasker, of whom few details have been found. William’s name first appears with Charles Frohman on a shipping record in July 1912. Perhaps Frohman, being an Anglophile, had been impressed by William’s recent employer.
Lusitania
On the last voyage of the Lusitania, Stainton traveled on the same ticket as Frohman, 46052, but stayed in a separate cabin, B-61. Stainton dined in the first class dining saloon with George Slingsby (valet to Frederick Orr-Lewis), Emily Davis, and Annie Walker (maids to Marguerite, Lady Allan). Their table was on C deck of the first class dining room on the starboard side facing the open deck through the window.
On Tuesday, 4 May, Frohman asked Stainton to call for Dr. James McDermott, as Frohman had leg pain from a bad fall some years previous.
On the day of the Lusitania disaster, 7 May, Stainton and Slingsby were running late and joined Emily and Annie at their table in the saloon. They listened to the band play “Tipperary” when Slingsby looked out the window and saw the wake of the torpedo as it approached the ship.
Slingsby called everyone’s attention to the torpedo, including Inspector William Pierpont at the table next to theirs, who also saw the wake. As the torpedo impacted, Slingsby ran to find his employer.
William Stainton was lost in the Lusitania disaster.
Burial and memorial
William’s death was reported in local Yorkshire newspapers. On 11 May, the Hull Daily Mail reported him as a missing Beverley resident. On 15 May, The Beverley Guardian reported him as still missing.
His body was recovered, #199, seven days after the sinking. He may have been identified by Haddon Chambers, a close friend of Frohman’s, and William Lestoq, Frohman’s London Business Manager who traveled to Queenstown to identify Frohman and take charge of his body.
Like the others, William’s body would have been placed in a lead lined coffin. It was then transported to his family in Etton, where he was buried in St Mary’s Churchyard.
William Stainton’s headstone. Image courtesy Peter Scott.
William was listed in the Beverley Roll of Honour in the Beverley Recorder on 15th November 1918. His name is listed on the War Memorial in Beverley as a victim of the War.
Contributors:
Randy Bryan Bigham
Michael Poirier, USA
Peter Scott, UK
References:
Barnes, Barrie. Known Unto God. Limited edition book and record of Beverley, Yorkshire men lost in World War I.
Shipping Records, Ellis Island.org.
On earlier Atlantic voyages with Charles Frohman, William Stainton is recorded [See Ellis Island website] as British and born in Pontefract, Yorkshire.
Frohman’s fall which caused his bad leg occurred during the winter of 1911/12, in White Plains, NY
Just wondering if you could point me to something that gives his birth place. Only thing I can find on the Ellis Island site is a manifest for the Aquitania in 1914 that gives York as his brithplace.
The following has already been sent to the website. I have had no acknowledgement and obviously no update has taken place:
William Stainton was born in June 1877 in the village of Etton near Beverley, Yorkshire. Interestingly he stated on shipping records that he was born in Pontefract, Yorkshire.
William went into service with a local family in the High Hall, Etton. He later became a valet eventually taking up a post in Hampshire with Lt Colonel Arthur Jones CB who was the equerry to Princess Louise, the 4th daughter of Queen Victoria. Jones had a number of friends and connections in the world of “the drama” and when he died in 1911 William went on to work for Charles Frohman. His previous valet of 10 years was Henry Tasker of whom little or nothing is known. William’s first recorded association with CF is from a shipping record in July 1912. It can only be assumed, being an Anglophile, that CF would have been impressed by William’s recent employer.
William died age 38. His body was rescued from the sea 7 days after the sinking. He might well have been identified by Haddon Chambers a close friend of CF and William Lestoq CF’s London Business Manager who travelled to Queenstown to identify CF and take charge of his body. William’s body [like others] would have been put into a lead lined coffin. It was then transported to his family in Etton.
Buried in St Mary’s Churchyard, Etton
William was listed in the Beverley Roll of Honour in the Beverley Recorder on 15th November 1918. His name is listed on the War Memorial in Beverley as a victim of the War.
Source:
“Known Unto God” by Barrie Barnes; a limited edition book/record of local men [to Beverley, Yorkshire] lost in the First World War.
William’s demise was reported in local Yorkshire newspapers of the day. On 11th May the Hull Daily Mail reported him as a missing Beverley resident. The Beverley Guardian of the 15th May recorded him as still missing.
Shipping Records, Ellis Island.org
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your patience; the update to Stainton’s biography has been made. The Lusitania Resource is a website that I run in my spare time, which, sadly I have not had much of in recent months. I hope to make more of a push in these months leading up to the centennial.