James Anderson was born in Witton, Northwich, Cheshire, England on the 27th March 1881, the son of James and Sarah Jane Anderson (née Collins). At the time of his birth, his family lived at 100. Witton Street South, Witton, Northwich, which is probably where he was born, but later the family moved to Foundry Road, Birkenhead, Cheshire. His father was a ship’s carpenter and James was the fourth
eldest of twelve children in the family.
On the 15th February 1900, he signed on as a cook’s boy on board the Amazonense, a cargo vessel, at Liverpool. As the years progressed, he worked as a waiter and steward on many ocean-going vessels.
On the 30th April 1905, he married Edith Mary Collingwood at St. Cleopas Church, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. The couple had four children – Violet Edith, Jessie Linda, Ralph James, and Leonard Richard, who was known as “Lenny”. In 1915, the family home was at 112, Paterson Street, Birkenhead.
He engaged as a second cabin bedroom steward in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool on 12th April 1915 at a monthly wage of £4-5s-0d., (£4.25p.). It was not the first time that he had served on the vessel.
He reported for duty on the morning of the 17th April 1915, before the liner left Liverpool landing stage for the last time. The liner crossed the Atlantic Ocean without incident and having docked in New York, eventually left there on the early afternoon of 1st May, for her return to Liverpool. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland. At that time, she was only about 250 miles away from the safety of her home port.
Steward James Anderson was one of 51 stewards, out of the 105 on board, who survived this action and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, he eventually made it back to Liverpool.
There, he was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and was paid the balance of wages owing to him, which amounted to £4-9s-6d., (£4.45½p). 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!
One of the second cabin passengers who was killed, and whose body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards was Richard Preston Pritchard, who originally came from Ramsgate in Kent. In an attempt to learn more of his fate, the Pritchard family first went to Queenstown to scour the mortuaries there and his brother Mostyn printed and published posters seeking information about him. Mrs. Pritchard and her son, Mostyn, then wrote to many surviving passengers and crew members seeking information. One of these was James Anderson and in reply to Mostyn Pritchard’s original letter he wrote two back to him which stated: -
Monday
112 Paterson St
B. Head
Dear Sir
In reply to yours just received I was one of the Bedroom stewards on E Deck only just a few yards from D90 & must say that I was the only Steward of that Deck & 4 passengers & 1 child that I know of out of 120 & God knows they were very lucky to escape for you do not know or ever will know the last moments of that fate. We had on board this voyage
more 2nd Class passengers then we carried before. Your son made himself very prominent for although he was not in my rooms he spoke to me several times on the voyage. I remember seeing him leave the Dining Saloon about 1.20 after lunch & am sure he was not asleep in his cabin for it was only half an hour after that the shock occurred. The Steward that looked after him I have not seen since but will look to see to your wants & I will make it my business to go to the other bedroom Stewards homes & get all the news I can for you. If the Cunard had have kept us at Queenstown we that had most to do with the passengers might have recognised them better on sight but they discharged us on reaching L’pool & have not received a penny from them since but Please do not mention this as it will do me no good. Dear Sir, if we had have had an escort this terrible affair would not have happened. I have had a letter yesterday from a lady asking for Information as regards her Husband she has not had a single word yet about him. If I were you I would make a claim so they take more precautions next time. I will let you know in a day or so from the others as I never saw him after Lunch at 1.20.
P.S.
I had all the Welsh singers in my rooms he was not with them also there was nobody Ill that came home with us but my wife tells me there was a train came into Birkenhead with passengers so I will take your photo to the Borough Hospital & inquire although I do not think it will do much good because if he was alive you would have heard by now but do not give up hope until you hear from me. I remain.
Yours
J. Anderson
In case you should hear soon let me know
James Anderson raised a number of points in this first letter which have been much talked about to this day. The fact that the Lusitania was unescorted entering a known “danger zone”, and that the crew members who survived, and best-knew the passengers, were hastily brought back to Liverpool when they could have been of valuable assistance in identifying the deceased in the mortuaries in Queenstown. Also, he mentions that he had not been paid any wages owed to him since his discharge. Within a few days, James Anderson wrote his second letter: -
112 Paterson St
B. Head
Dear Sir
In answer to my last letter as to getting full particulars as regards your soon I went to the Borough Hospital & they know nothing at all there.
I went to the Cunard Line Photo Depo (sic.) on 26th & they can give me no tidings also I inspected the photos & they do not meet your own photo nor anything like them they were taken from the water on the 18th & 20th. Also I went to the other bedroom Stewards & they cannot recollect seeing him at all. This morning I met the saloon Steward he has just arrived from Queenstown. I showed him your photo to try and get any information but he said the body had not been got yet. Believe me there may be Hundreds that will never hear anything at all. Have you heard anything yet at least I have done all I can so I must conclude with.
Best wishes
Your Servant
J. Anderson
No trace of Richard Preston Pritchard was ever found.
By 1921, the Anderson family were residing at 489. Borough Road, Tranmere, Birkenhead, but later moved to Southampton, Hampshire, no doubt because the major trans-Atlantic liners were operating out of the port and James Anderson was going where the work was.
By the time the 1939 Register was compiled, the family were residing at 67. Janson Road, Southampton, and Edith Anderson was a widow, but when and where James Anderson died is unknown at this time.
Both of James Anderson’s sons became stewards for the Cunard – White Star Line, serving for many years on the Queen Mary.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, UK World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards 1914 – 1923, IWM GB62, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 350, Graham Maddocks, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 4th December 2022.