John Catherwood was probably born James Catherwood, in Drumane, Kilrea, County Londonderry on the 20th April 1870, the son of Thomas and Nancy Catherwood (née McCloy). His father was a farmer.
Around 1890, he emigrated to the United States of America and resided in New York City. On the 19th March 1902, in Troy, New York, he married Maria Carson, who was from Ballymoney, County Antrim, which was close to where John grew up, so it is likely he knew her before she went to the United States of America. John Catherwood had become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America at some time. In 1915, the couple lived in West Chester, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where John Catherwood was employed by the firm of Edward H. Jacobs of West Chester as superintendent of several gardens. The couple had no children.
John and Maria Catherwood had made frequent visits back to home to Ireland, but in 1915, he was suffering from Bright’s disease, and his wife had been informed that John had but a short time to live.
Therefore, early 1915, he and his wife decided to return home on an eight-week visit to seek a climate more beneficial to his failing health and consequently they booked tickets from New York to Glasgow on the Anchor Liner S.S.
Cameronia. Then at the end of April, the British Admiralty requisitioned her for war service as a troop ship, and on the morning of 1st May, transferred her passengers, some crew and her cargo to the
Lusitania. John Catherwood and his wife therefore joined the vessel at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York. The
Lusitania then left port just after mid-day.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, both he and his wife were killed after the
Lusitania was torpedoed twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine
U-20 and sank in just eighteen minutes. At that stage in her voyage, she was only about 250 miles away from the safety of her Liverpool home port.
As neither of their bodies was ever recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, neither has a known grave. John Catherwood was aged 45 at the time of his death.
One source states that John was a clergyman, but this is incorrect.
After their deaths, Maria’s brother, William James Carson, individually, and the Farmer’s and Mechanics Trust Company, who were administrators of the couples estates, filed claims for compensation which were considered by the Mixed Claims Commission. The Commission awarded the administrators the sum of $500.00 in compensation for the loss of the personal belongings the couple had brought with them on the fateful voyage. As William James Carson was not dependant on the couple, the Commission declined to make any award to him. John’s brother, Thomas, who was also residing in the United States, and who was also a naturalized citizen of the United States made no claim for compensation, obviously deciding that his chances of success were slim.
1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York State Marriage Index 1881 – 1967, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2056, New York Times, Philadelphia Public Ledger, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/432, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Peter Threlfall, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.