In Remembrance

Many of those from Holyhead lost during the Great War are commemorated on memorial plaques at chapels where they and their families worshiped. This plaque is displayed at Hyfrydle Chapel, Holyhead and among others can be found the names of three crew members of RMS Leinster.

Hannah Owen – Stewardess. She was aged 36 and lived at Tower Gardens.

Edward Salisbury Moors – Engineer’s Steward. Aged 48, he lived at Edmund Street. He left behind a widow and nine children.

Robert Thomas – Storekeeper. He was aged 35 and lived at Rock Street. He left behind a widow and at least two children.

With thanks to Captain Glynne Pritchard for the photograph.

 

Outside the museum, a memorial dedicated to those lost at sea during world wars, include artefacts recovered from RMS Leinster, sunk by U-boat in 1918. The Bitts were used when mooring the vessel to the quayside. They were attached to a section of teak decking, used here as part of the information display.

Pictured outside Holyhead Maritime Museum are four museum volunteers with one thing in common. They all lost grandfathers on RMS Leinster in October 1918.

Norman Williams’ grandfather was Engineer’s Steward Edward Salisbury Moors. Cousins Carys Roberts and Peter Scott Roberts lost their grandfather – Fireman Richard Roberts. Lamp Trimmer Robert Anthony was the grandfather of Eric Anthony (holding the model of RMS Leinster). Another volunteer, Lorna Johnson, unable to be present for the photograph, is another granddaughter of Richard Roberts.

We are looking to locate and make contact with as many relatives as possible prior to the Centenary Commemoration planned for October 2018. You can make contact by referring to the ‘Are you a relative?’ page of this blog.

RMS Leinster – List of survivors of the crew from Holyhead.

The following seamen from Holyhead are known to have survived the sinking of RMS Leinster.

William Griffiths, Under Steward (Cabin Boy), b. Holyhead, age 17.

Robert Jones, Fireman, b. Holyhead, age 43.

William Thomas Jones, 5th/4th Engineer, b. Holyhead, age 37. Lived at Morton Road.

Robert James Lewis, Second Cook, b. Holyhead, age 29.

Robert William Michael, 2nd/3rd Engineer (Cert. 35270), b. Holyhead, age 45. Died 19/8/1935 at Riversdale, Four-Mile-Bridge, Anglesey. Brother of Phillip Thomas George Michael, lost on RMS Leinster.

Hugh Owen, Seaman, b. Holyhead, lived at 4 Wesley Terrace, Holyhead, age 31. He was on the bridge with Captain Birch and saw the first torpedo arrive. Died in 1979 at Garreglwyd Home, Holyhead, aged 92.

William Pritchard, Fireman, b.Holyhead, age 42.

William R Thomas, Under Steward, b. Holyhead, age 16.

Hugh Williams, Seaman, b.Holyhead, age 33.

John Williams, 3rd Steward, b. Holyhead, age 29.

Evan Rowlands, RNR, Gunner, b. Newborough, lived at 13 Well Street, Holyhead, age 49. Died in 1939 at Holyhead.

Information largely from ‘Torpedoed’ by Philip Lecane.

Do you recognise any of the names above? Are you related? If so, we would be interested to hear from you.

 

Louisa was born at Holyhead in 1896. She left Park School at 15 to train as a nurse before joining the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company as a Stewardess in 1914. Two of her sisters were similarly employed at the company. She lived with her family at 5 Fair View, Holyhead. One of nine children, she was 22 when she lost her life and was much missed by her family. In the photo she is standing at the left side of the family group.

Family information tells us that she was not scheduled to work that day but sailed in place of one of her sisters who was ill. It is further believed that Louisa Parry went to a lower deck to help passengers but became trapped in a cabin with another woman and a child; crew members were unable to open the door due to the angle of the ship and the pressure of the water against it.

The Memorial Plaque bearing her name was one of 1.3 million issued by the British Government to the next-of-kin of those lost as a result of the war. Made from bronze and measuring 5″ in diameter, it is sometime known as the ‘Widow’s or Death Penny’.

With thanks to Simon McClean for permission to publish the above photographs concerning his great-aunt, Louisa Parry.

This Blog has been set up by the RMS Leinster Centenary Commemoration Group (Holyhead) to tell the story of the tragic loss of RMS Leinster on 10 October 1918.

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The image is of a painting of RMS Leinster completed in 1900 and available to view at Holyhead Maritime Museum.