Bernard Cassidy was born in Killeavy, Newry, County Armagh, Ireland, in 1855, the son of Thomas and Catherine Cassidy (née Griffin). His father was described as being a pedlar, and Bernard was the eldest of seven known children in the family.
It is not known when he left his native land but by the mid-1880’s, he had settled in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. He joined the British mercantile Marine as a ship’s fireman.
On the 31st October 1899, he married Elizabeth Hanley, who was known as “Eliza”, and in 1915, they lived at 26, Exeter Street, Liverpool, Lancashire, England. The couple had four children: however, only two of their daughters, Elizabeth and Mary Agnes, survived infancy.
He engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915, at a monthly rate of pay of £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.),
£1-0s-0d. of which he was advanced at the time. He reported for duty on board five days later in time for the liner’s last ever departure from the River Mersey. He had served on the liner in the ‘Black Gang‘, before.
The liner then crossed the Atlantic Ocean to New York, without incident and eventually left there on the early afternoon of the 1st May, for the return leg of her voyage to Liverpool. Then, six days out, on the afternoon of the 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland. At that time, she was only about 250 miles away from the safety of her home port.
Fireman Cassidy was killed as a result of this action and his body was never recovered and identified afterwards. As a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial to the Missing at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 59 years when he was killed, although he erroneously gave his age as 54 years, when he engaged.
In August 1915, his widow Eliza was paid the balance of wages owed to him, in respect of his service on the Lusitania’s last voyage, which was reckoned from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had foundered! In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited also granted a yearly pension to Eliza Cassidy to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £33-7s-1d. (£33.35½p.), which was payable at the rate of £2-15s-8d. (£2.78p.) per month.
Following his death, his family left 26. Exeter Road and some years later a Leading Fireman, Michael Thomas Carroll, who had survived the sinking of the Lusitania, moved into the residence!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Irish Catholic Parish Registers 1655 – 1915, 1911 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of England, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/22302, 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 – 4th January 2023.