Michael Thomas ‘Tom’ Carroll was born on the 28th August 1874 at 17, Wilbraham Place, Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, the son of Patrick and Annie Carroll, (née Larkin). His parents were Irish immigrants and Tom was one of six known children in the family. His father was a boilermaker.
On completing his formal education, Tom became a boiler sealer before joining the British Mercantile Marine as a fireman on steam ships.
In late 1903, he married Mary Kelly, and they had nine children throughout the course of their marriage. The family home was at 12. St. John’s Road, Bootle, Liverpool.
He had sailed on the Lusitania before, and engaged for what would be her final voyage to New York on the 12th April 1915 and reported for duty in the engine room at 8 a.m. on the 17th April - the day she left the River Mersey for the last time. As a leading fireman in the Engineering Branch, his monthly rate of pay was £7-10s.-0d. (£7.50p.).
He survived the sinking and his youngest daughter, Mary Cartwright, in a letter to Graham Maddocks in 1998, described the family’s reaction to the news of the disaster: -
“I believe my mother heard the news of the sinking from a neighbour, (others had been trying to keep it from her until she heard it officially). Seemingly, however, mother’s reaction was ‘I know Tom will be all right’ and fortunately he was, especially as there were five young children at the time, between the ages of 3 months and eight years.”
In common with all crew members, survivors, or victims, he was paid up until the 8th May, 24 hours after the sinking. The balance of wages owing to him was £6-0s-11d.,
(£6. 04p.).
Following the sinking, he continued to go to sea for the rest of his working life, but not with Cunard, and certainly not with Captain Turner, whom he obviously blamed for the sinking. Mary Cartwright told of this: -
“I was told that he would never speak of his experiences, (I would love to know how he got away), beyond saying that he would never sail with the Captain again. To the best of my knowledge, he then left the Cunard.”
“I just remember him as a white haired, moustached man - he was 50 when I was born - quiet and reserved, a good husband and father, who sailed to the Mediterranean ports and would bring me little presents of interesting hard backed picture booklets - I still have two of Naples and Pompeii - and delicious Turkish Delight.”
Suffering from recurrent stomach ulcers, Tom Carroll retired from the sea just before the Second World War and died on the 21st April 1941, at his home, 26, Exeter Road, Bootle. He was aged 66 years. He was buried in Ford Roman Catholic Cemetery, in Litherland, Liverpool. His widow, Mary, died in 1946.
Co-incidentally, the residents of 26. Exeter Road in 1915 was the Cassidy family, and the head of the family, Bernard Cassidy, was also a fireman on the final voyage of the Lusitania. Unfortunately, he lost his life in the sinking!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England Catholic Burials 1813 – 1985, 1891 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seaman 1914 – 1925, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 351/1/21758, Graham Maddocks, Mary Cartwright, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 1st January 2023.