George William Alfred Beesley was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, in 1892, the son of George Henry and Emily Ritson. His father was a bookkeeper with the Cunard Steam Ship Company, and the family home was at 12, Thorndale Road, Waterloo, Liverpool. George was one of two children, but his sibling died while in infancy or early childhood.
His father had married Elizabeth de Costa in Liverpool in 1865, and the couple had nine children; however, his father had deserted his wife and family prior to 1891 and co-habited with Emily Ritson until they married in 1913, after his father’s first wife had died.
George Beesley was employed as one of three junior assistant pursers in the Deck Department on board the Lusitania, having signed on at Liverpool, on the 14th April 1915, at a rate of pay of £6.0s.0d, for what would be her final voyage. He joined her at 7 a.m., on the 17th April, before she sailed for New York. He had previously been employed as a book keeper by the company.
When the liner was sunk, he and both the other two junior assistant pursers, (A. Harrod and L.H. Sloane) were killed, along with the Purser, J.A. McCubbin, and one of the assistant pursers, A.H. Burden. Only the Assistant Purser, W.H. Harkness, survived from the Pursers' Section.
George Beesley was aged 22 years when he was killed.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
When his will was proven on the 7th July 1915, administration was granted to his father and his effects amounted to £101-19s-0d, (£101.95p). In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to his mother to compensate her for the loss of her son, on whom she was obviously financially dependent to some degree, which amounted to £27-8s-5d. (£27.42p.) which was payable at the rate of £2-5s-9d. (£2.28½p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, England Select Births and Christenings 1538 – 1975, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, Probate Records, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/9210, UniLiv. PR 13/24, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 13th December 2022.