Michael Ward was born, according to the official record of his birth, on his family’s farm at Carrickboy, County Donegal, Ireland, on the 5th February 1872, the son of Michael and Margaret Ward (née McSharry). He was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church on the 22nd January 1872, which would indicate incorrect details were given when his birth was being recorded on the 9th March 1872. In addition, when later applying to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, he stated his date of birth to be the 19th March 1873!
In 1894, he had left his native land and travelled to the United States of America, where he settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was unmarried and employed as a motorman, or tram driver, with the Pittsburgh Railway Company. He had a brother, Joseph, and a sister, Mary, also working and living in Pittsburgh.
In 1895, he had commenced his application to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, and in September 1906, he finally completed this process.
In 1913, he returned to Donegal for a holiday and while there, he purchased a small farm at Greenhall, Ballyshannon, not far from where he grew up.
For a number of years, his mother was pleading for him to return to Ireland, and in the spring of 1915, she wrote stating that she was in ill-health and therefore he decided to travel to Ireland, although it is not known if he intended to remain there permanently or just for a short holiday.
As a consequence, he booked himself a second cabin ticket on the Lusitania's scheduled sailing for 1st May 1915. He left Pittsburgh at the end of April 1915 and joined the vessel at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May, and was on board when she left the harbour, having been delayed, just after mid-day.
Six days later, the liner was torpedoed and sunk off the southern coast of Ireland by the German submarine U-20. At that stage of her voyage, she was only about steaming time away from the safety of her Liverpool home port, and within sight of his native land.
Michael Ward was one of those who lost his life in the sinking and as his remains were never recovered, he has no known grave. He was aged 43 years.
A reference to him was made by fellow second-class survivor, Margaret Cox, in an interview with a reporter from the Irish Independent, which appeared on 10th May: -
‘I was at the high side of the ship, where men were working at boats. A man named Mr Ward of Bundoran, who was coming from Pittsburgh – I don’t think he has been saved – gave me a hand to a boat that was on the deck.’
Administration of his estate was granted to his widowed mother at Dublin on the 21st September 1915. He left an estate of £583-12s.-0d. (£583.60p).
Margaret Ward continued to reside on the farm purchased by her son until her death in 1938.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Irish Catholic Parish Registers 1655 – 1915, Pennsylvania U.S. Federal Naturalization Records 1795 – 1931, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Irish Independent, Pittsburgh Press, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.