Bernard Carribine was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England on the 10th August 1872, the son of Bernard and Esther Ann Carribine (née Carter). He had an older brother named Thomas, who was born in 1870, and a younger one, named Edward, who was born in December 1874. His father was a professional seaman in the British Mercantile Marine.
Five months after the birth of his younger brother, his mother died, aged 26 years, and Bernard and his brothers were raised by their paternal grandmother and other relatives and friends. They also spent time in Liverpool workhouses as children.
Like his father, Bernard became a professional fireman in the British Mercantile Marine and on the 24th February 1892, he married Margaret O’Hare in Liverpool. The couple had three children; however, one of their daughters died in infancy. In March 1909, Margaret Carribine died, aged 36 years, and was buried in Ford Cemetery, Litherland, Liverpool.
On the 18th January 1912, Bernard Carribine and two of his ship mates were tried before the Magistrate’s Court in Wellington, New Zealand, for deserting their ship and were sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment for the offence. The circumstances and the name of their vessel are not recorded.
By 1911, Bernard and his two daughters were residing with his older brother, Thomas, and his family at 30a. Iliad Street, Liverpool, but by 1915, they had moved to 40, Iliad Street.
On the 12th April 1915, at Liverpool, he engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at a monthly rate of pay of £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.). £1-0s.-0d. of which he was allotted at the time. It was not the first time that he had served in this capacity on the liner.
Having left Princes Landing stage on the morning of the 17th April, the liner crossed the Atlantic Ocean without incident and having docked in New York on the 24th April 1915, eventually left there on the early afternoon of the 1st May, for her return to Liverpool. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of the 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine, U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland. At that time, she was only about 250 miles away from the safety of her home port.
Fireman Carribine managed to survive this action and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, he was eventually able to make it back to Liverpool. Once there, he was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and was paid the balance of wages owing to him, which amounted to £4-14s-0d., (£4.70p). This sum was in respect of his service on board from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had gone down!
On the 18th August 1915, Bernard Carribine married Martha Grove in Liverpool. Martha had been married to Bernard’s brother, Thomas, who had died in October 1912. Curiously, the family name that Martha gave at the time of her marriage to Bernard Carribine was Allen, but no record of her marrying anyone between the death of her first husband and her marriage to his brother can be found. The couple had no children, although Martha had eight children from her marriage to Thomas Carribine.
The couple continued to reside at 40. Iliad Street for the remainder of their lives.
Bernard Carribine’s daughter, Margaret, died at the Northern Hospital, Liverpool, in July 1916, aged just 18 years. She was buried in Ford Cemetery, Litherland, Liverpool, in grave 1331, on the 6th July 1916.
Bernard Carribine died at Walton Hospital, Liverpool, on the 6th May 1939, aged 66 years. He was buried in Ford Cemetery on the 11th May 1939, in grave 3308. His second wife, Martha, died a few weeks before him.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England catholic Baptisms 1754 – 1933, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, Liverpool England Catholic Burials 1813 – 1985, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, New Zealand Police Gazettes 1878 – 1945, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 350, Graham Maddocks, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 31st December 2022.