Michael Cooney was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England on the 26th January 1869, the son of Peter and Margaret Cooney (née Murnane). He was the eldest of three known children in the family and his father was a labourer.
He married Elizabeth Moore at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church, Scotland Road, Liverpool, on the 27th May 1894, and the family home was at 92, Hopwood Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool. Michael and his wife had thirteen children, 4 of whom had died by 1911.
He was a professional seaman in the British Mercantile Marine, and served as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the final voyage of the Lusitania and was killed when she was sunk. He was aged 46 years, although when he signed on for the final voyage, he gave his age as being 40 years!
His body was not amongst those recovered and identified afterwards and as a consequence, his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
His son, also named Michael, also served as a fireman on the ship and he, too, was lost. His body was not recovered and identified either. He was aged 20 years.
One can only imagine the effect of their two deaths on Elizabeth Cooney, - losing a husband and a son in the same disaster!
In August 1915, his widow, Elizabeth, was paid the balance of wages owed to him, in respect of his service on the Lusitania’s last voyage, which was reckoned to be 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 a yearly pension to Elizabeth Cooney to compensate her for the loss of her husband and son, which amounted to £58-17s.-2d. (£58.86p.), and which was payable at the rate of £2-18s.-2d. (£2.91p.) per month.
There was one other father and son tragedy from the sinking. Greaser Paul Wiencke and his son Trimmer Paul Frederick Wiencke were also lost.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, 1871 Census of England, 1881 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/28238, UniLiv. PR 13/24, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 15th January 2023.