George Merson Smart was born in Dufftown, Banffshire, Scotland, in January 1886, the son of Alexander and Margaret “Maggie” Smart (née Merson). Dufftown was then, and still is today, a major centre for the distillation of Scotch whisky, and George’s father was a still-man in the industry. While George was a child, his family moved to Tain where his father was employed by The Glenmorangie Company Limited.
George studied to be an accountant and at some stage became a member of Masonic Lodge St. Duthus No. 82. He immigrated to Canada in early 1910, settling first in Vancouver, British Columbia, and on the 24th March 1914, he became affiliated to Quesnel No. 69 Masonic Lodge. He found employment as an accountant with the Express Company, Ashcroft, British Columbia.
In 1915, George decided to return to the British Isles on the May sailing of the Cunard Steam Ship Company liner, RMS Lusitania. Consequently, he booked second cabin passage and went to Pier 54 in New York harbour where he boarded the vessel on Saturday, 1st May.
On 7th May, within sight of the Old Head of Kinsale, on the southern coast of Ireland, the giant liner sank, shortly after being struck by a German torpedo, launched from the submarine, U-20.
George Smart was killed as a result of this action and his body was never recovered. He was aged 29 years.
Although he died intestate, on the 4th October 1915, his father was granted his estate which amounted to £82-5s.-7d. (£82.28p.).
Today, George Smart is remembered on the gravestone where his parents are buried in Tain St. Duthus Cemetery in Scotland. The inscription referring to him reads: -
THEIR SON GEORGE MERSON
LOST IN S.S. LUSITANIA, 7th MAY 1915, AGED 25 YEARS.
1891 Scotland Census, 1901 Scotland Census, 1911 Census of Canada, Probate Records, The Scotsman, UniLiv D92/2/109, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, James Climenhage, Roddie Macpherson (Photo), Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.