Charles Ernest Moore was born at his family home, a substantial farm, at Lisdaran House, Lisdaran, Cavan, County Cavan, Ireland, on the 29th May 1877, the son of Charles and Sarah Moore (née Killough). He was the eldest of three children, having two younger sisters named Constance Gertrude, born in 1880, and Jane, known as “Jennie”, born in 1882. Constance died, aged 14 years, in June 1894 from meningitis.
His mother died in 1905, and his father in 1907, leaving Ernest to manage the family farm. His sister resided with him, and neither of them was married.
Because of ill-health, he had gone to America in 1912, leaving his sister to manage the farm. He eventually made his way to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in Canada where he continued to farm, his health having improved.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return to Ireland, and as a consequence, booked second cabin passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania, which was scheduled to leave New York for Liverpool on the morning of 1st May 1915. He did not communicate his intention to return, to his sister in Ireland, perhaps hoping to surprise her.
Having left Moose Jaw, probably sometime in April, he stayed for a time with friends in New York City before he boarded the liner at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on May Day morning but then had to wait until 12.27 p.m. before the liner actually left port. This was because she had to embark passengers, some cargo, and some of the crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship.
After a fairly uneventful journey eastwards on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk within sight of the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20 only about twelve to fourteen hours steaming time away from the safety of her home port.
Unfortunately, Ernest Moore was one of nearly 380 second cabin passengers who were killed as a result of this action and as his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 37 years.
His sister, Jennie, on learning that her brother had been on the stricken liner in a newspaper report in the Anglo-Celt on Friday, 14th May 1915, went to Queenstown a few days later to search for him. A surviving crew member, on being shown Ernest’s photograph by her, confirmed that he had been on board. Also, enquiries with the people Ernest had stayed with in New York confirmed that he was on board.
Probate of his Will was granted to his sister on the 22nd March 1916, and his effects amounted to £1,386-6s.-6d (£1,386.32½p) in Ireland. He also left her money in Wales, which amounted to £51-17s.-6d. (£51.87½p).
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, Cunard Records, Anglo-Celt, Irish Post and Weekly Telegraph, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/421, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.