Hubert Hutchinson Newbold was born in Liverpool. Lancashire, England, on the 15th April 1891, the son of George Hubert and Annie Newbold (née Weightman). George Newbold was a railway clerk, and the family resided at 13. Russell Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. They later moved to 72. Stuart Road, Waterloo, Liverpool. Hubert was one of three children in the family.
In 1907, having completed his formal education, Hubert became an apprentice railway clerk; however, he resigned his position in 1909 and became a career seaman by joining the British Mercantile Marine as a steward and waiter on passenger ships operating out of the port of Liverpool.
In April 1915, he engaged as cellerman in the Steward’s Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool, a liner he frequently was engaged on, on what would prove to be her final voyage which departed from the Prince’s Landing Stage on the River Mersey on the 17th April 1915.
Having completed an uneventful voyage to New York, Hubert was again on board on the 1st May, as the great liner left Pier 54 in New York harbour for the return voyage to Liverpool. Six days out of New York, on the afternoon of the 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine, U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and at best fourteen hours steaming time away from the safety of her home port!
Hubert Newbold survived this action, and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool, having been treated for injuries at Queenstown Infirmary. Once there, he was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and was paid the balance of wages owing to him. This sum was in respect of his service on board from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had gone down!
Sometime after recovering from his ordeal, he enlisted in the British Army. As 59301 Private H.H. Newbold, he served in the Machine Gun Corps, but nothing is known of his service.
After his demobilization, Hubert continued to serve in various steward capacities on trans-Atlantic liners for a number of years.
On the 25th September 1922, Hubert married Emily Pemberton Kerr (née Barker) in Liverpool. His wife was a widow, whose husband, 66324 Private Robert John Kerr, 14th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on the 6th October 1918. The couple had married in 1915 and had no children.
Hubert and Emily had one child, a son named Donald Hubert, who was born in 1923. By 1928, Hubert Newbold had become a travelling salesman for a distillery and was living with his family at “Branston”, Alicia Gardens, Harrow, Middlesex. Then, on the 8th March 1929, Emily Newbold committed suicide at the home of her sister at 46. Southlands Road, Moseley, Birmingham, Warwickshire.
Sometime after this tragedy, Hubert Newbold moved back to Liverpool where he took up residence with his son at “Heather Lea”, Gore’s Lane, Formby, Liverpool.
On the 26th June 1935, he married Mary Grace Dowell in Liverpool. It was Mary’s first marriage, and the couple had no children. They lived at his home in Gore’s Lane for the remainder of his life.
Hubert Newbold died at The General Hospital, Waterloo, Liverpool, Lancashire, on the 23rd September 1950, aged 59 years. Administration of his estate of £3,258-8s.-0d. (£3,258.40p.) was granted to Lloyds Bank Ltd.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Baptisms 1813 – 1919, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, UK Railway Employment Records 1833 – 1956, Evening Dispatch, Probate Records, PRO BT 348, PRO BT 349, PRO BT 350, PRO BT 351/1/103895, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 23rd January 2025.