Margaret Pirie was born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1904, the daughter of Arthur and Annie Pirie (née Osborne). Her father was an optician, and in 1905, the family immigrated to the United States of America, settling first in New York City, and later moving to Newark, New Jersey, where her father found work as an instrument maker. The family resided at 12. Grand Avenue, in Newark.
In July 1907, Margaret and her mother returned to Glasgow, remaining there until November 1908, when they returned to Newark. In 1909, he brother, Arthur was born in Newark, and shortly after his birth, the family moved to Lynn, Massachusetts, where they resided at 660. Boston Street.
In the spring of 1915, her father had returned to Glasgow where he obtained work with Messrs. G. & J. Weir, of Cathcart, Glasgow, who were an engineering firm, and when war broke out in Europe, designed and build aircraft and aircraft engines.
After he had secured a position with the firm, her mother decided to return to Glasgow with Margaret and her brother to be with him. Consequently, they booked passage on the Anchor Liner the S.S. Cameronia from New York to Glasgow, but at the end of April, she was requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship, and her passengers, cargo and some of her crew were transferred to the Lusitania instead.
As a result, they booked passage on the Anchor Lines ship the S.S. Cameronia which was scheduled to leave New York for Scotland at the end of April. However, the British Admiralty then requisitioned her for war service as a troop ship, and her passengers, cargo and some of her crew were then transferred to the Lusitania instead, as second cabin passengers. Having joined the Cunarder at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York port on 1st May 1915, the three had their last glimpse of their adopted country not long after the Lusitania left there, at 12.27 p.m..
Six days out of New York and within sight of the Irish coast, Margaret Pirie and her mother and brother were all killed after the steamer was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. As no trace of any of them was ever discovered afterwards, none has an identifiable grave. Margaret Pirie was twelve years old.
On the 27th May 1915, the Cunard office in Queenstown received the following telegram concerning the lost family: -
HAVE REMAINS BEEN RECOVERED? IF NOT PRESUME YOU ARE MAKING BEST ENDEAVOURS. HAVING ANXIOUS ENQUIRIES
The reply, sent the same day simply stated: -
REGRET NO TRACE SO FAR OF PIRIE FAMILY. THE SEARCH STEAMERS ARE AT WORK DAY AND NIGHT PATROLLING THE COAST AND GOING AS FAR AS 60 MILES WEST OF FASTNET. NOTHING IS BEING LEFT UNDONE. NO BODIES FOUND FOR SOME DAYS.
Later that year, Arthur Pirie senior applied for compensation for the loss of his family, to The Lusitania Relief Fund of Liverpool. This fund had been set up after the liner had gone down, by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local citizens, to give financial help to second and third class passenger survivors and the relatives of those killed, who had suffered direct loss as a result of the sinking.
Probably because he was not a dependent, and was able to work, the awards committee declined to give him any money.
1905 New York State Census, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, Boston Post, Daily Record, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/61, UniLiv. PR13/6, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.