John Edward Hughes was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, in 1877, the son of Rowland and Eleanor Hughes (née Williams). He was the eldest of six children, and his father was a travelling drapery salesman.
On completing his education, he found employment dispensing medicines in a shop and later, for a surgeon.
On the 14th September 1904, he married Lily Bentley in Birkdale, Lancashire, and in 1915, they lived at the family home, 305, Liverpool Road, Birkdale.
Sometime after his marriage, John Hughes began working as an insurance agent before he became a professional seaman by joining the Mercantile Marine. Due to his previous work experience, he was employed in medical departments on passenger ships.
He served as Hospital Attendant in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, having signed on at Liverpool on the 13th April 1915 for what would be her final voyage to America. His daily rate of pay was £0-04s.-3d. (£0.21p).
Having completed her voyage to New York without mishap, the Lusitania left that port on the afternoon of the 1st May 1915 for what became her last ever trans-Atlantic crossing. Six days later, on the afternoon of the 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk within sight of the southern Irish coast by the German submarine U-20, only hours away from her home port. John Hughes was killed as a result. He was aged 37 years.
His body was not found and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he has no known grave. His name is therefore embossed on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to Lily Hughes to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £21-9s.-5d. (£21.47p.) which was payable at the rate of £1-15s.-10d. (£1.79p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Lancashire England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1936, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Rochdale Observer, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 100/345, 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 – 16th January 2024.