Matthew ‘Mattie’ McAteer was born in Bootle, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 17th June 1887, the son of Daniel and Elizabeth McAteer (née Carroll). His father was a member of the British Mercantile Marine, working as a fireman and greaser on steam ships, and Mattie was one of nine children in the family.
The family lived in Dryden Street, Liverpool, before moving to 36. Browning Street, while Mattie was a child, and it was here that the family lived for the remainder of their lives.
On completing his education, Mattie joined the Mercantile Marine as a cook, s
brothers were also serving in various capacities in the Mercantile Marine also.
On the 28th April 1913, he married Katherine Van Eker in Liverpool, and they lived at Glassington House, 23, Sackville Street, Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire. Their daughter, Kathleen, was born in 1914.
He was employed on board the Lusitania as a vegetable cook in the Stewards' Department and was killed when she was sunk on the 7th May 1915.
He was aged 27 years, and his body was not recovered and identified afterwards. As a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
He is also commemorated on a white marble plaque in St. James' Roman Catholic Church in Chestnut Grove, Bootle, Lancashire, where he must have had family connections.
In August 1915, his widow Katherine was sent the balance of pay owing to him for the liner’s final voyage. In keeping with all crew members, whether they survived or not, this pay was reckoned from the 17th April 1915 until the 8th May, 24 hours after the liner had sunk. In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to his widow to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £48-13s.-11d. (£48.69½p.) which was payable at the rate of £4-1s.-2d. (£4.06p.) per month.
For a number of years after his death, his wife and friends placed advertisements in the ‘In Memorium’ column of the Liverpool Echo newspaper in remembrance of him.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards 1914 – 1923, Liverpool Echo, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/90593, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, George Donnison, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 2nd November 2024.