David Cowell Handlin was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, in late 1867, the son of Edward Cowell and Mary Handlin (née Gore). His father was a boilermaker, and David was one of five known children in the family.
By 1882, his father had died, and David was serving as a boy waiter on the s.s. Pavonia, which was a passenger steam ship owned by the Cunard Steam Ship Company and operating between Liverpool and New York. Thus, he became a professional seaman in the Mercantile Marine.
He married Hannah Emma Barker, always known as ‘Emma’, on the 25th February 1893 in Bakewell, Derbyshire, and by 1911, they lived at 16, Ferndale Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, Lancashire, with their two children: Doris Lillian and Jessie. He was an active freemason and a member of Kirkdale Lodge No. 1756, in Liverpool.
He engaged as a second cabin bedroom steward in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly wage of £6-1s.-0d. (£6.05p.). It was not his first voyage on the vessel. He reported for duty five days later on the morning that the liner left the Liverpool Pierhead for the last time ever.
Having completed her voyage to New York on the 24th April, the Lusitania left the Cunard berth at Pier 54, just after mid-day on the 1st May 1915 on the return leg of her voyage to Liverpool. Six days later, she was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of southern Ireland, by the German submarine U-20, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger. At that time, she was only twelve to fourteen hours away from the safety of her home port.
David Handlin was killed as a result of this action and according to Jonathan Denton, one of the ship's barbers, in an interview published in The Birkenhead News and Advertiser on the 12th May 1915, Handlin’s life “was sacrificed for others” The newspaper account stated: -
Referring to the death of the chief (sic) second-cabin steward (Mr. Handlin), Mr. Denton said his life was sacrificed for others. Mr. Handlin had got into the boat, and being of the opinion that the Lusitania would not go down, went back. He was controlling the remaining few and assisting them in every possible way when the huge liner took her last plunge.
As no trace of his body was ever recovered and identified afterwards, Bedroom Steward Handlin is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 47 years. He is also commemorated on a bronze roll of honour dedicated to the freemasons from the Liverpool district who were killed in the Great War, at the Masonic Hall in Hope Street, Liverpool.
Wages owing to him from the 17th April to the 8th May, 24 hours after the Cunarder went down, were eventually paid to his widow, in August 1915. She had been granted administration of his estate on the 6th July 1915, he having died intestate. His effects had amounted to £545-12s.-6d. (£545.63p), which was a considerable sum for a steward to leave in those days. In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted an annual pension to Emma Handlin to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £69-14s.-2d. (£69.71p.), payable at the rate of £5-16s.-3d. (£5.81p.) per month.
Two other crew members, who were killed on board the Lusitania, were also members of Kirkdale Lodge. They were Boilermaker Richard Gould who came from Bootle, near Liverpool, and Barkeeper Henry Ross who came from Aintree, a district of Liverpool.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Manchester England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1915, Derbyshire England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1932, 1871 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Probate Records, UniLiv. PR. 13/24, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/57379, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Cuthill, David Irving, J. Kontzle, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 30th December 2023.