Harry Ryde George Allport was born in Stepney, Middlesex, England on the 9th May 1880, the son of Joseph Ryde and Grace Mary Angel Allport (née Leaver). He was baptized into the Anglican Church in the Parish of St. James Ratcliff in Middlesex on the 19th June 1880. Five weeks after his birth, his mother died, and he resided for a time with the church sexton, John Theobold, and his family at 13. Butcher Row, Ratcliff, Stepney, London, Middlesex.
Harry’s father was a ship’s steward, and Harry was eventually sent to live with his grandparents, Joseph, and Catherine Allport, at 105. Belgrave Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His father remarried in London in 1887, to a woman named Emily Eastham, and eventually moved to Auckland, New Zealand.
In 1893, Harry travelled to New Zealand to join his father and stepmother, however, shortly after his arrival in Auckland he believed that his father had died, and his stepmother was unable to provide for him. He found employment as a cabin boy and saved enough money to pay his fare to Sydney, Australia, in 1896. Harry found work for a while in a cafe, but eventually ended up living homeless on the streets of Sydney, having no relatives or friends to turn to. He was advised to seek the help of the authorities and was sent to a reformatory school on an old sailing ship named the Sobraon, which was moored off Cockatoo Island in Sydney harbour. To his credit, he had not come to the attention of the police and had not engaged in criminal activity, despite being homeless and penniless.
Harry eventually returned to England and found work with the Cunard Steam Ship Company as a steward. He served on a number of vessels and engaged as the Second Saloon Steward in the Stewards Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool for her intended return voyage to America in April 1915, at a monthly rate of pay of £4-5s-0d., (£4.25p.). He reported for duty on the early morning of 17th April 1915, before she left Liverpool Pierhead for the very last time and one week later, he arrived safely at her New York destination.
He was still serving in the same capacity when the liner began the return leg of her voyage to Liverpool on the early afternoon of 1st May 1915. When the liner sank off the Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland on the afternoon of the 7th May 1915, Harry Allport was one of the lucky survivors. He was aged 35 years.
Harry Allport eventually returned to Liverpool and was paid the balance of wages owing to him in respect of his time on board the Lusitania, which was counted from 17th April until 8th May 1915, 24 hours after the liner had gone down. This balance amounted to £4-9s-6d., (£4.47½p.).
Harry continued to serve as a ship’s steward with the Cunard Steam Ship Company for many years, maintaining addresses in Southampton and New York City. On the 7th April 1922, he married Mary Aloe Lewis in Manhattan, New York City. His wife had been born in Louisville, Kentucky and they had no children. They resided at Lane Gate Road, Cold Spring, Putnam County, New York, which is about fifty miles north of New York City.
Harry Allport retired in 1940, aged 60 years, and some years later, he and his wife moved to Norwalk, Connecticut, where his wife died in March 1949.
Following his wife’s death, Harry Allport moved to California, living first at 3649. Regal Place, Hollywood, Los Angeles, before moving to 416. Poinsettia Avenue, in the little seaside neighbourhood of Corona Del Mar, Orange County. He died on the 5th November 1966, aged 86 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, London England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1923, New York U.S. Extracted Marriage Index 1866 – 1937, California U.S. Death Index 1940 – 1997, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, California U.S. Federal Naturalization Records 1843 – 1999, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, New South Wales Australia Entrance Books for the Vernon and Sobraon 1867 – 1911, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards 1942, Derby Daily Telegraph, PRO BT 349, PRO BT 350, PRO BT 351/1/2519, Graham Maddocks, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly
Revised & Updated – 2nd December 2022.