Gerald Arthur Letts was born in Tottenham, Middlesex, England, on the 18th January 1870, the fifth son of The Reverend John Davis and Almeria Rose “Minnie” Letts (née Towne). His father was the vicar at St. Ann’s Church, Tottenham, and Gerald had twelve siblings. He qualified as a civil engineer, and sometime in the 1890’s he immigrated to Australia.
On the 17th October 1899, he married to Maud Staughton in Victoria, Australia, and in 1903, he returned to England, followed by his wife and children in 1904.
The family took up residence at 'Goodyers', Brent Road, Hendon, Middlesex, England. He also had a residence in New York, at 21, East 55th. Street, in the United States of America, in connection with his profession, which by this time was that of an art expert and dealer.
From at least 1906, he travelled frequently between London and New York, often two or three times each year, and he favoured travelling on Cunard liners.
In January 1915, he had travelled from his home in London to New York, sailing as a saloon class passenger on the Lusitania, and for his return to London, he again booked saloon class passage on the Lusitania, which was scheduled to leave New York for Liverpool on the morning of 1st May 1915. Having arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York harbour on that morning he boarded the steamer with ticket number 46139 and was escorted to his accommodation in room A32, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward John Perry, who came from Seaforth in Lancashire, not far away from Liverpool.
The liner’s sailing was delayed until the afternoon as she had to embark passengers, some crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned
by the British Admiralty for war work at the end of April. She finally left the port just after mid-day and just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May; she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that point, she was twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her destination.
Gerald Letts did not survive the sinking, nor was his body ever recovered and identified afterwards. He was aged 45 years.
Administration of his estate was granted to his widow Maud at London, on 30th August 1915, and his effects amounted to £4,898-19s-6d, (£4,898.97½p).
Bedroom Steward John Perry, who had looked after Letts in room A32 also perished in the sinking and never saw his Seaforth home again.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, London England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1917, Australia Marriage Index 1788 – 1950, 1871 Census of England & Wales, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Probate Records, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 180/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.