Arthur Grimshaw was born in Didsbury, Lancashire, England, in late 1896, the eldest child of James Biggam and Sarah Ann “Annie” Grimshaw (née Truelove). His father was a tailor, and the family home was at 112. Wilmslow Road, Didsbury. Arthur had a younger brother – Charles, and three younger sisters – Mary Louisa, Norah, and Kathleen. His brother died in 1905, aged 6 years.
By the age of fourteen, Arthur was working as an office boy, and progressed to become a clerk. On the 26th January 1914, he boarded the
Cedric at Liverpool, hoping to start a new life in the United States of America. On disembarking in New York City, he made his way to Brooklyn, to the home of his friend, Arthur Whiteside. He quickly found work as a clerk in New York City.
In the spring of 1915, perhaps because of the war in Europe and maybe mindful of his patriotic duty, he decided to return home and consequently booked second passage for himself on the May sailing of the
Lusitania from New York to Liverpool.
He would then have boarded the liner in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock departure, but would have had to have waited until just after mid-day before the vessel actually left the Cunard berth at Pier 54 and slipped into the North River to begin what became her last ever Atlantic crossing The delay was caused because she had to take on board cargo, passengers and crew from the liner
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for service as a troop ship at the end of April.
Then, six days out of New York on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, the
Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that time, she was only about fourteen hours steaming time away from her destination and home port.
Arthur Grimshaw was killed as a result of this action and as his body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 18 years at the time.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Dumfries and Galloway Standard, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.