George Griffiths was born in Jackfield, Shropshire, England, on the 20th October 1872, the son of Ernest and Ann Maria Griffiths (née Lloyd). His father was a china worker in a pottery factory and George was the eldest of ten known children in the family.
After leaving school, George went to work in a pottery factory and in 1898, he married Gertrude Nicklin in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The couple had two children – John Ernest born in 1899, and Herbert George born in 1910.
It is not known when he joined the Mercantile Marine as a waiter on passenger ships, but by 1901 he had moved to Liverpool with his family. By 1915, they lived at 25, Ashdale Road, Walton, Liverpool, Lancashire.
He engaged as a second class waiter in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania in April 1915 at a monthly wage of £4-5s.-0d. (£4.25p.) and he reported for duty on board the vessel on the morning of the 17th April, before she left the city for New York.
Having had an uneventful passage to New York, he was on board when the vessel left there on the early afternoon of the 1st May 1915 for her return voyage to her home port. This was never completed; however, because six days out, on the afternoon of the 7th May, she was torpedoed by the German submarine, U-20, twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and sank within 18 minutes, taking two thirds of her passengers and crew with her. At that stage of her voyage, she was only about fourteen hours steaming time away from Liverpool. He was aged 42 years.
George Griffiths survived the sinking and returned to Liverpool where he continued to serve in the Merchant Navy for many years.
By 1939, George Griffiths was residing with his wife at 54. St. John’s Road, Crosby, Liverpool, and working in a chandlery and hardware store. During the Second World War, he served as an Air-Raid Warden.
Nothing is known about him after 1939.
Register of Births Marriages and Deaths, Shropshire England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1900, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, PRO BT 350, PRO BT 351/1/54875, UniLiv D92/1/3, UniLiv D92/2/231, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 21st December 2023.