Eunice Mustoe was born in Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England, on the 1st August 1868, the daughter of Llewellyn “Lewin” and Elizabeth “Annie” Mustoe (née Ball). Her father was an agricultural labourer, and Eunice was one of eight children.
While still a teenager, she entered domestic service, working for many years as a nurse, and then a cook, for the Brown family in Fylde, Lancashire. While working in Fylde, she became pregnant, and her son, William Edward, was born on the 22nd April 1896 in a Bristol workhouse.
On the 7th October 1909, she married William Kinch, a widower, in Cleveland Ohio. Eunice had only arrived in New York City, on board the Carmania, the day before, so the couple married as soon as Eunice arrived in Cleveland. William Kinch had emigrated from England, in 1871, and was a farmer. He also became a naturalized U.S. citizen. They had obviously met, and become engaged, when William had made a visit to England at some time.
In 1915, the couple resided at 6300 White Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, and as a result of the marriage, Eunice and her son became American citizens. Eunice’s son, William Mustoe, who had emigrated in 1912 and resided with his mother and step-father, adopted his step-father’s surname. Then, in November 1913, William Kinch died.
In 1915, Eunice and her son decided to return to England for the summer and consequently, they booked on the May sailing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool as second cabin passengers. They purchased their ticket at Collver and Miller, Taylor Arcade, Cleveland.
On the train from Cleveland to New York, Eunice and her son made the acquaintance of Charles and Sarah Lund, and Sarah’s father, William Mounsey, who were travelling
from Chicago in order to board the Lusitania, also.
Mother and son arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York port on the morning of 1st May 1915, and boarded the vessel in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock sailing. Eunice Kinch was given Berth 2 in Room D92 and her son berth 2 in Room D.90. The sailing was then delayed until the afternoon as she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship, at the end of April.
The Lusitania finally left port just before 12.30 p.m. and just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that point, she was off The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland and only 250 miles away from her Liverpool home port.
Both Eunice and William Mustoe Kinch lost their lives as a result of this action and as neither of their bodies was ever recovered and identified later, neither has a known grave. She was aged 46 at the time of her death.
In June 1915, a Miss Elizabeth Price of Fallowfield, Manchester, Lancashire, sent photographs of the pair to the Cunard offices in Queenstown, in case they matched photographs taken of the recovered corpses, or in case the bodies of the Eunice or William Mustoe Kinch might be washed ashore, but to no avail. It is likely that Miss Price was a relative or family friend.
In September 1916, a Mr. William H. Chapman, Attorney at Law, of 34, Engineers Building in Cleveland, Ohio, who was acting for the estate of William Kinch, wrote to Cunard, stating: -
By reason of dispute over the property of Mrs. Kinch, it has been necessary to have it judicially determined as to who (sic) between her and her son survived the other.
He then asked if any passengers or crew had witnessed the last moments of Eunice Kinch or her son to help him in this task and Cunard promised to look into the matter. Following protracted litigation, the matter was settled to the satisfaction of all parties.
Liberty B. Ware, the executor of Eunice’s estate, filed a claim for compensation for the loss of her life, and her personal belongings as a result of the sinking. As Eunice did not leave anyone dependant on her, the Mixed Claims Commission made no award in respect of her death, but did award the sum of $858.00 as compensation for the loss of her personal property.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Cuyahoga County Ohio Marriage Records and Indexes 1810 – 1973, 1871 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2264 & 2269, PRO BT 100/345, UniLivD29/1/1, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.