Earl of Lathom was a British three-masted, wooden schooner with square sails of 132 gross registered tons. Her port of registry was Liverpool, England. She had a crew of five.
In the first week of May 1915, Earl of Lathom was carrying a cargo of bacon and potatoes from Limerick, Ireland, to Liverpool.
The U-20 stopped the Earl of Lathom sometime after 2 a.m. on Wednesday, 5 May 1915. U-boat commander Walther Schwieger ordered the crew of the schooner to abandon ship and bring him the ship’s flag and papers. The crew of the captured schooner complied.
As the crew made for the shore in their lifeboat, the U-20 launched 12 grenades at the schooner before the Earl of Lathom heeled over and sank.
References:
Hickey, Des and Gus Smith. Seven Days to Disaster. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1982.
“WWI U-boat Successes: Ships hit by U-20.” Uboat.net. Online. <http://uboat.net/wwi/boats/successes/u20.html>.
the Earl was built by Ferguson & Baird shipyard at Connah’s Quay in Flintshire. It was built for Captain David Marrow
who was also her first master. The ship was launched by his wife. When Marrow retired he was succeeded as captain
by Richard Hutton.