James Edward ‘Jim’ Bennett was born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in 1889, the only son of Herbert Edward Bennett, a printer and compositor, and his wife Maria Jane (née Springthorpe) He had an older sister, Mary (May), and while he was still an infant, the family moved to 79. Craddock Street, Little Bolton, Bolton, Lancashire. By 1902, Jim’s father had either died, or his parents had divorced, because in late 1902, his mother married Alfred Brown in Nottingham.
In 1915, Alfred Brown, Maria Jane, and her daughter, May, lived at The Star Hotel, Bradford, Yorkshire, where Alfred was the proprietor. Whether or not Jim was legally adopted by Alfred Brown is unclear, but he began to use the surname ‘Bennett-Brown’ sometime after his mother’s marriage to Alfred Brown, although his sister continued to be known as May Bennett.
In the summer of 1914, Jim Bennett-Brown married Florence Maud Lowe in Liverpool and the couple lived at 41, Albert Road, Waterloo, Lancashire.
James Bennett-Brown was a professional seaman in the British Mercantile Marine and served as a first class waiter in the Stewards' Department on board the last voyage of the Lusitania and appears in Cunard records as Edward Bennet Browne. He was killed as a result of the torpedoing of the vessel on the 7th May 1915, aged 26 years, although Cunard Records are again incorrect as they state that he was aged 29 years.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and as a result, his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
When his will was proven on the 26th June 1915, administration was granted to his widow and his effects amounted to £111-10s-0d, (£111.50p). Also, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to his wife to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £45-4s-8d.
(£45.23½p.) which was payable at the rate of £5-15s-5d. (£5.77p.) per month.
Probate Records and those of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission both omit the final 'e' in Brown, although the Commission also records his surname as Brown and not Bennett-Brown.
Florence Maud Bennett-Brown died in Crosby, Liverpool, in 1966, aged 86 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Manchester England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1915, 1891 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards 1914 – 1923, Boston Globe, Liverpool Echo, Probate Records, PRO BT 334, 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 – 22nd December 2022.