Thomas Duckworth was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 1st August 1883, the son of Thomas and Margaret Duckworth. His father was a blacksmith and later a labourer in an iron foundry, and Thomas was one of four known children in the family.
On completing his education, Thomas became a labourer before joining the British
Mercantile Marine as a fireman on steam ships.
He married Alice Jane Bristow on the 17th February 1902, and they had two children – Alice Jane, born in 1904, and John Joseph in 1906. Then, in February 1909, Alice Duckworth died, aged 25 years.
In April 1915, Thomas Duckworth engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool, at a monthly rate of pay of £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.), £1-0s.-0d. of which was advanced to him at the time. He reported for duty early on the morning of the 17th April; in time for the vessels last ever voyage out of the River Mersey.
Three weeks later, he was killed when the Cunarder was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her home port. He was aged 31 years. His body was never recovered and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial to The Missing, at Tower Hill, London.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 25th March 2023.