James Wilson Glancy was born in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland, on the 15th September 1891, the son of John and Helen Glancy (née Wilson). His father was a bootmaker, and James was one of six children in the family.
While a child, his family moved to Glasgow, Lanarkshire, and after leaving school, he became a butcher. He joined the Mercantile Marine as a waiter and steward on passenger ships at some point. He usually worked on vessels operated by the Anchor Line. By 1915, his family resided at 324, Scotland Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, .
He served as an assistant steward in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania, but his usual ship was the S.S. Cameronia and he engaged on her at Glasgow on the 15th April 1915.
However, the Admiralty requisitioned the Cameronia for war use as a troop ship at the end of April 1915 and on the 1st May 1915; nine crew members not needed for her new rôle, (stewards, stewardesses and a matron) were transferred to the Lusitania. These included James Wilson Glancy who re-engaged for her fateful final voyage. What must have seemed at first to be a stroke of good fortune certainly turned sour when she was sunk! He was not listed amongst the survivors.
While on board, he shared a cabin with Steward Jack McIver who also transferred from the S.S. Cameronia and was a fellow Glaswegian.
Following the sinking, his father sent a description of James Glancy to the Cunard Steamship Company, no doubt hoping it would assist in identifying his body if he was recovered. The description stated: -
“5’ 6”, brown curly thick hair, slightly bow legged, medium, stout, and good teeth. Burned as a child with boiling water and burn left side of hand as a result”.
His father, probably from information given to him by Steward McIver and Stewardess Leitch, became convinced that body number 106 was that of his son, despite these remains being identified as being those of Archibald Parsons. McIver and Leitch both claimed that when they viewed the remains, it bore number 23, but claimed that the number was later changed to 106. No satisfactory explanation was ever given by the authorities to explain these circumstances, but they were satisfied that the remains in question were those of Archibald Parsons, despite the beliefs and protestations of John Glancy that they were the remains of his son.
James Glancy’s body was never recovered and identified after the disaster and as a consequence, his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 23 years.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1901 Census of Scotland, 1911 Census of Scotland, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UniLiv. D/92/6/1, UniLiv D92/2/196, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 2nd December 2023.