Margaret Hill ‘Peggy’ Butters, was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, in 1876, one of nine children, and the third daughter of Francis Turley and Isabella Butters (née Nielson). While still a child, the family moved across the River Mersey to Liverpool, where they resided for many years at 2. Kelvin Grove, Toxteth. The family home was later at Wallasey, Cheshire.
Having completed her education, she found employment as a book keeper at the London and North Western Hotel, Liverpool. This hotel had been built adjacent to Lime Street Railway Station by the London and North Western Railway Co. in 1871, and operated until 1933. The building is currently owned by John Moores University and utilised as a hall of residence for students.
She had immigrated to Toronto, Quebec, Canada in 1912, and in the spring of 1915, she decided to return to Wallasey on a visit to her parents. As a consequence, she booked as a second cabin passenger on what became the
Lusitania’s last voyage and joined the liner at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May 1915.
When the liner was torpedoed sunk, just six days later, she lost her life and as her body was never found and identified afterwards, she has no known grave.
According to the post-war memorial book Hyde at War, which commemorates people from that Cheshire town who were involved in the Great War: -
There were several local victims of this wholesale Hunnish murder, who numbered nearly twelve hundred souls. Miss Butters, sister of Mr. Francis Neilson, M.P. for Hyde Division, was one of those drowned.
Presumably, the Hyde M.P. had dropped the surname ‘Butters’ and utilised his mother’s maiden name as his own surname, possibly to pursue his career in politics. Similarly, in
The Hyde Reporter for 15th May it was reported: -
Among the many anxious enquirers who assembled outside the offices of the Cunard Company on Friday might was Mr. Francis Neilson. M.P. for Hyde. He waited for hours hoping for some favourable news of his sister who was a passenger on the ill fated leviathan liner. Miss Margaret Butters is his third sister, and she went to Canada about three years ago and was coming home to visit her parents, who live near Birkenhead and had just recently celebrated their golden wedding.
Mr. Neilson’s long vigil was of no avail since no news was received of Miss Butters nor has any information been received since and it is feared that she is but another victim of this awful tragedy. Naturally Mr. Neilson’s parents are stricken with grief, and the blow is all the heavier, coming as it does so soon after the death of his brother, some twelve months ago.
Peggy Butters is commemorated on the family grave in Rake Lane Cemetery, Wallasey. There was once a stone cross on the grave which has been broken off, but on a side panel is the following inscription: -
Also of
MARGARET HILL (PEGGY)
DAUGHTER OF F. AND I. BUTTERS,
WHO WAS LOST WITH THE S.S. LUSITANIA MAY 1915.
Coincidentally, Peggy Butter’s brother Francis Neilson had several friends also lost on the
Lusitania as well as his sister. These were novelist Justus Forman, impresario Charles Frohman, journalist and publisher Elbert Hubbard and dramatist and playwright Charles Klein.
Francis Butters senior died in March 1924 aged 83 years and Isabel Butters in February 1929 aged 98 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Cunard Records, Hyde at War, Hyde Reporter, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.