Annie Robson was born in West Moor, Northumberland, England, on the 17th December 1884, the daughter of John Fryar and Mary Jane Robson (née Common), of 1, North Row, Seaton Burn, Northumberland, England. Her father was a fitter in a colliery, and Annie was one of ten children. She was unmarried.
She became a domestic, or children’s nurse, and was employed for a time by Dr. Robert Alfred Bolam, a consulting physician, as a nurse to his children at their family residence at 3. Queens Square, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.
In October 1912, she had gone to the New York City in the United States of America to enter domestic service. She resided with a Mr. Robson, who was most likely a relative, at 107. East Lincoln, Mount Vernon, New York City. In the spring of 1915, she decided to return home for a visit, and consequently, she booked as a second cabin passenger on the May sailing of the Lusitania, from New York to Liverpool.
Having arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York, in time for the liner’s scheduled 10.00 a.m. departure, she had to wait until just after mid-day before the liner actually left. This was because the Lusitania had to take on board passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for use as a troop ship at the end of the previous month. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 off the southern coast of Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination.
Annie Robson did not survive the sinking, nor was her body ever recovered and identified afterwards. Therefore, she has no known grave. Her father wrote to Cunard, enclosing a photograph of Annie, and both the photograph and letter survive in the Archives and Special Collections at the Sidney Jones Library in the University of Liverpool. In the letter, he gives a brief description of Annie: -
“She is 30 years of age, fair complexion, medium height. She was wearing pince nez”.
Some time after the sinking, however, a black handbag was handed in to the Cunard offices at Queenstown, which had belonged to Annie Robson. It had been found on one of the ships that had picked up survivors, bodies and property, the trawler Empress of Ireland.
Once the bag had been delivered to Cunard at Queenstown, its contents were listed as: -
American Express Co. cheques in favour of Annie Robson, 10 cheques Nos. 6435260 to 6435269 at $10 each. Gold, (English) £3, silver 4/9, copper 2¾d. silver (American), 1 dime, 2 5 cent pieces, eye glasses rimless with gold, hairpin holder and chain, small gold brooch, silver brooch, engraved silver pencil case, small ivory penknife, small circular purse mirror, folding buttonhook, slip of paper bearing address:- “Mrs. Stricker, 40, East 28th Street, New York. Second cabin landing card bearing name “Robson Annie” 3 small keys.
These were forwarded to her father on 6th June 1915.
Also, a lady’s satchel was recovered, which had belonged to fellow second cabin passenger Eva Finch, who also perished in the sinking and who was travelling from her home in Lynn, Massachusetts. In the satchel was a piece of paper with the Seaton Burn address of the Robson’s written on it. Presumably, Annie must have met Eva Finch on the crossing and they had exchanged addresses!
Administration of Annie Robson’s estate was granted to her father at Newcastle on 30th October 1915, and her effects amounted to £25-0s-8d, (£25. 3½p).
By a strange co-incidence, Kenneth Robson, another second cabin passenger also set out on his journey from Mount Vernon, and like Annie, was lost in the sinking. There is no evidence to indicate that they were related to one another.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Newcastle Daily Chronicle, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, UniLiv D92/2/190, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.