John McLoughlin was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 4th May 1883, the son of Patrick and Isabella Amelia McLoughlin (née Sharples). His father was a railway porter, and John was the eldest of three known children in the family.
When his parents married in early 1883, it was his father’s second marriage, and his mother’s third!
His father had married Mary Ellen Walker in 1875 and had two daughters – Alice and Mary Ann. Sadly, both his wife and daughters all died in 1882.
His mother first married a marine fireman named Andrew Radcliffe in 1870, and it is presumed he died within a few years, for in April 1873, she married Charles Baker, who was a plasterer, and had two children – Allan James and Isabella Jane. Charles Baker died in 1879.
His father, Patrick McLoughlin, died in 1896, and his mother married for a fourth time in 1900, her fourth husband being John Guy, who was a blacksmith.
John McLoughlin grew up at 52. Robsart Street, Everton, Liverpool, and after finishing his formal education, became a machinist in a cabinet making factory. He later worked as a labourer and a carter, before joining the British Mercantile Marine as a fireman on steam ships.
In 1901, John McLoughlin enlisted in the Territorial Forces of the British Army as a part-time soldier. As 243 Private John McLoughlin, 3rd South Lancashire Regiment, he took part in annual training until being discharged, having served his time, in July 1907. He rejoined the regiment in 1908; however, he was struck off the active list in 1909 when he failed to report for training.
He was married to Margaret Ann McLoughlin (née Bigley) in Liverpool on the 20th March 1904, and in 1915, the family home was at 76, Victoria Square, Liverpool, Lancashire. The couple had two children – Isabella Jane, born in 1904, and Robert Southern, born in 1907.
He engaged as a greaser in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915, at a monthly rate of pay of £7-0s.-0d., and reported for duty on the morning of the 17th April when the liner departed for New York for what would prove to be her final time.
Having arrived in New York without incident of the 24th April, he was still on board, acting in the same capacity, when the Lusitania steamed out of New York harbour on the afternoon of the 1st May on her return voyage to her home port of Liverpool. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of the 7th May, when the great liner was intercepted and sunk by the German submarine, U-20, while off the coast of southern Ireland and less than a day from reaching the safety of Liverpool, John McLoughlin was killed as a result of this action. He was aged 32 years.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and as a result he is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing of the Mercantile Marine at Tower Hill, London.
In August 1915, he was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and his widow, Margaret, was paid the balance of wages owed to him, in respect of his
service on board the Lusitania from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had gone down! In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted her a yearly pension to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £46-16s.-4d. (£46.81½p.) which was payable at the rate of £3-18s.-1d. (£3.90½p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Lancashire England Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1887 – 1909, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK British Army World War I Service Records 1914 – 1920, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/94861, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 5th January 2025.