Alfred Stockton was born in Sutton, Lancashire, England, on the 30th September 1891,
the son of Alfred and Catherine “Kate” Stockton (nee Lightfoot). His father was a coal miner, and the family home in 1891 was at 38. Ellamsbridge Road, Sutton, St. Helens, and it is likely he was born here.
On leaving school, Alfred followed his father below ground to work as a coal miner and, by 1911; the family home was at 85 Junction Lane, Sutton, St. Helens, Lancashire, England.
On the 11th April 1914 he went to work in the United States of America and sailed to New York on the Lusitania. For the best part of a year he lived in Marion, Illinois and then probably because of the war, decided to return to Sutton. Consequently, he booked with Cunard as a third class passenger and by coincidence his return ship was also the Lusitania.
He survived her sinking and when he finally reached home, he gave an account of his experiences to a reporter of the local newspaper, the St. Helens Newspaper and Advertiser, which was printed in the edition of Friday 14th May 1915. In it, Mr. Stockton stated: -
The ship was sailing as smoothly as a yacht on one of the best days I had seen for some time when she was hit by the German torpedo which caused her to shudder a little. However, she recovered but was immediately hit again and commenced to sink.
Stockton, like many other passengers and crew, and the conclusions reached by the Lord Mersey Enquiry, was wrong about there being two torpedoes, the second blow heard and felt was undoubtedly the secondary explosion caused by the detonation of Schwieger’s only torpedo. Mr. Stockton’s account continued: -
At that time I was on deck and was walking down to the other end of the ship when someone threw some lifebelts from the first-class deck, one of which I caught and fastened around me. I stayed on the ship until she went down.
The sensation when she went down cannot be described, I felt myself being turned over and over by the suction of the ship and thought my time had come. However, I came to the top and started swimming about until I came to a box about six-foot long and I and another fellow clung to this, and were drifted up and down by the waves.
After being in the water for what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only about three or four hours, we were rescued by the steamer “Brok”, stiff and numb through our immersion in the water. We were then taken to Queenstown where we were well looked after by the Cunard officials.
The steamer “Brok” was the Royal Naval trawler H.M.S. Brock which picked up many passengers and crew from the sea.
Mr. Stockton went on to state that Cunard officials at Queenstown did everything they could for the welfare of everyone concerned, all of whom had lost a considerable amount! He was given a new suit of clothes, right down to a necktie, which contradicted some stories that he had returned to Sutton in rags.
Although his relatives knew him to be on board, his name was not on the first list of
those known to have survived and this caused considerable anxiety to those at home. Eventually, however, on Monday 10th May, they received a telegram which stated that he was safe and in Queenstown.
Eventually, he arrived back at Sutton, looking little the worse for his experiences, having made the journey from Queenstown via Holyhead and Liverpool, during which time he stated that he was very well fed by Cunard.
He expressed his pleasure at being home, but nevertheless fervently hoped that he would never have to go through such an experience again!
Alfred Stockton returned to the coal mines, and on the 27th December 1919, he married Annie Williams at St. Nicholas Church, Sutton. They had one child, a daughter named Marion, who was born in the summer of 1924 and died in early 1925.
Alfred Stockton died at the Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, on the 10th December 1936, aged 45 years. He was living with his wife at 194. Watson Road, Blackpool, at the time of his death. He left an estate of £507 to his wife.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, England Select Births and Christenings 1538 – 1975, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, St. Helens Electoral Register, St. Helens Newspaper and Advertiser, Graham Maddocks, Robert O’Brien, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.