George Alfred Glover was born in Clerkenwell, London, England, on the 4th May 1886, the son of Joseph Frederick and Amy Glover (née Baynes). His father was a feather dyer who separated from his mother sometime after his birth and he was one of three children.
Nothing is known of his childhood, except that he attended Ackmar Road School, Parsons Green, London, between 1891 and 1897.
He was a professional seaman in the Mercantile Marine, working as a steward and waiter on passenger ships, and moved to Liverpool, Lancashire, where he had better opportunities. He was employed by the Cunard Steam Ship Company on their trans-Atlantic liners and worked for a time on the Saxonia and Carmania.
He lodged with the Hogg family at 25. Beech Grove, Seaforth, Lancashire, from at least 1908, and in 1914, he married Winifred Dale Hogg in Liverpool. The couple continued to reside in Winifred’s family home after their marriage. Their son, George Cecil, was born in December 1914.
He engaged as a first class waiter in the Stewards’ Department on the Lusitania, at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly rate of £4-5s.-0d. (£4.25p.). He joined the ship on the morning of the 17th April before she left Liverpool landing stage for the very last time.
He was killed when she was sunk off the southern coast of Ireland on the 7th May 1915.
His body was never recovered and identified after the disaster, and as a consequence, his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 29 years.
On the 16th June 1915, administration of his estate was granted to his widow Winifred and his effects amounted to £51-0s.-0d. In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted an annual pension to his widow to compensate her for the loss of her husband, and this amounted to £45-16s.-2d. (£45.81p.), payable at the rate of £3-16s.-5d. (£3.82p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Liverpool Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, London England School Admissions and Discharges 1840 – 1911, UK World War I Pension Records and Index Cards 1914 – 1923, Liverpool Echo, Probate Records, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334,
PRO BT 351/1/51673, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 4th December 2023.