Patrick Brennan was born in Dublin, or neighbouring County Kildare, Ireland in 1868, the son of Michael and Catherine Brennan. Nothing is known about his family or upbringing, but it appears that he became a professional seaman in the British Mercantile Marine when he was a teenager.
In 1892, he married Annie Lacy (or Lacey) in Southport, Lancashire, and they lived with their five children at 55, Langtry Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, Lancashire, England.
He signed on as a greaser in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915 for what would be the liner’s last ever voyage to America and reported for duty at 8 a.m. on the 17th April, the day she left the River Mersey. He was killed when she was sunk on her return voyage from New York on the 7th May. He was aged 47 years.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to Annie Brennan to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £38-14s-2d. (£38.71p.), which was payable at the rate of £2-14s-7d. (£2.73p.) per month. He family continued to live at Langtry Road for many years.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, PRO BT 334, 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 – 19th December 2022.