Andrew Faulds was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland, on the 30th August 1886, the son of George and Margaret Faulds (née McNab). His father, who died in 1895, was a joiner, and Andrew was the third eldest of six children. The family home was at 24. Thornhill, and later 2. Williamson Place, Johnstone.
Whilst in his early teenage years, Andrew began his apprenticeship as a tailor, and on the 13th November 1909, he boarded the
s.s. Columbia at Glasgow, and emigrated to New York City. He was going to join his older brothers, John and Thomas, who were already living and working in New York City. The following year, his mother and his three younger siblings followed them. The family resided at Morningside Avenue, Yonkers, Westchester County, New York. Andrew found work as a sweeper in a carpet mill.
On the 3rd June 1913, he married Margaret Allan in North Tarrytown, Westchester County, New York. Margaret had been born in Maryhill, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, but prior to immigrating to the United States of America in 1911, she had been living with her family in Paisley, Renfrewshire, which is close to Johnstone. She also had a daughter named Jeanette, born in Paisley in 1908, and it is likely that Andrew Faulds was the father. Margaret had left her daughter in Scotland when she went to America.
In 1915, Robert and Margaret decided to return to Scotland to visit relatives. Consequently, having bought third class tickets for the May sailing of the
Lusitania, on the morning of 1st May 1915 they boarded the liner at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York port in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock sailing. They then had to wait until the early afternoon before the liner actually sailed, as she was delayed by having to embark cargo, passengers and crew from the Anchor Lines ship
Cameronia. This vessel had been requisitioned at the end of April by the British Admiralty as a troop ship.
The Lusitania was then torpedoed and sunk, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May by the German submarine
U-20, whilst steaming past The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland. Both Andrew Faulds and his wife managed to survive this action - only just over a third of all steerage passengers did survive. Mr. Faulds must have been injured or at least suffered as a result of the action; however, as having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, he was taken to hospital, where he remained until 9th May, before being discharged. After this, he and his wife eventually made it back to Glasgow.
Once there, they went to the home of friends or relatives - the Peacock family - at 662, Yoker Road, in the district of Yoker. From there, they applied for financial help from The Lusitania Relief Fund, which had been set up not long after the sinking by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local business dignitaries, to give financial assistance to those second and third class victims of the sinking or their relatives, in the case of death, who had suffered monetary loss, as a result of the sinking. It was assumed that saloon class passengers would not need assistance! The couple was eventually awarded a single and final payment of £10-0s-0d from the fund.
On the 17th July 1920, Andrew, and his wife and their daughter, boarded the
s.s. Columbia at Glasgow and disembarked in New York City twelve days later. On this occasion, they travelled to 1477. Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Andrew’s mother and his siblings were now living.
The family next moved to 292. Woodworth Avenue, and later Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, Westchester County, New York, and Andrew worked as a machinist at a boiler company.
Andrew Faulds died in Yonkers on the 30th March 1942, aged 55 years.
New York County Marriage Records 1907 – 1936, U.S. Social Security Death Index 1935 – 2014, 1891 Census of Scotland, 1901 Census of Scotland, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1925 New York State Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, 1940 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, Daily Record, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.