Joseph Doyle was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 26th May 1897, the son of Timothy and Margaret Ann Doyle (née Murphy). His father was a boilermaker’s labourer, and Joseph was the youngest of three known children in the family.
On completing his education, Joseph joined the British Mercantile Marine as a trimmer on steam ships operating out of Liverpool.
In April 1915, he engaged as a trimmer in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania for her return voyage on the 17th April to New York. The monthly wage for this rate was £6-0s.-0d.
He survived her sinking three weeks later, when she was nearly home and six days out of New York. Having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, from where he eventually returned to Liverpool.
On the 5th June 1918, he married Ellen Bennett in Liverpool and the couple had five children. Although Joseph Doyle continued to serve in the Merchant Navy during the war years, following his marriage, he became a ship’s scaler and never returned to sea again.
The family lived at 3. Saltney Street, Liverpool, for a number of years, until they moved to 16e. Owen House, Owen Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, where Joseph and his wife lived for the remainder of their lives.
Joseph Doyle died in early August 1955 at Walton Hospital, aged 58 years. He was buried in Ford Cemetery, Grave J.B. 131, on the 8th August 1955. His wife died in January 1957 and was buried beside him.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, Liverpool England Catholic Burials 1813 – 1985, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, Liverpool Echo, Probate Records, PRO BT 350, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 23rd March 2023.