James McKechan was born in Gillespie, Illinois, in the United States of America, in 1909, the son of Robert Lawson and Elizabeth McKechan, (née Campbell). He was the eldest son of four children, having two older sisters, Martha, born in 1903, and Anna, born in 1906. He had a younger brother named Campbell, who was born in July 1914.
His parents had immigrated to America in 1907, and settled in Gillespie, Illinois, where his father became the secretary of a co-operative society. In the spring of 1915, however, James’ mother decided to return to Scotland for a holiday, and take her two boys with her. As a consequence, she booked second cabin passage for the three of them on the Lusitania which was due to leave New York on 1st May 1915.
Leaving James’ father back in Gillespie with his two sisters, the three of them left for New York at the end of April 1915 and arrived at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May for the sailing. It is likely that they were accompanied on the journey by James’ second cousin, Mrs Catherine Gill, a 41 year old widow who was also born in Stevenston, Ayrshire, and who also lived in Gillespie.
When the liner was torpedoed and sunk, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, by the German submarine U-20, James was in the charge of Mrs. Gill, and neither of them survived. James Campbell was aged six years. James’ mother and young brother were rescued, however.
At that time, the liner was only hours away from her Liverpool home port and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland. Mother and infant were landed at Queenstown, where Elizabeth was able to identify the body of her cousin in the temporary mortuary set up beside the Cunard office at Lynch’s Quay. It became evident to her, when she saw her corpse, that Mrs. Gill had suffered some major injury, during or after the sinking. She found no sign of her son James, however, and no sign of him was ever discovered by anyone else.
His mother did not stay very long in Scotland, returning to the United States of America on the Tuscania, sailing from Glasgow on the 13th August, accompanied by her baby, Campbell. Both young Campbell and she suffered injuries during their ordeal, and Campbell finally succumbed to his injuries when he died on 15th September 1915.
On 9th June 1916, his mother gave birth to her fifth child, a daughter named Elizabeth, followed by two more sons, Robert junior, and John, born in 1919 and 1924, none of whom would ever know their older brothers.
Robert and Elizabeth filed a claim with the authorities, on behalf of themselves and their children for injury and loss sustained in the sinking of the Lusitania. On 21st February 1924, the Commission awarded Robert McKechan the sum of $5,000.00, and Elizabeth a total sum of $13,200.00. No award was made in respect of the surviving children.
1910 U.S. Federal Census, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 430, 431, & 432, Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald, Ayr Advertiser, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.