Peter Fearon was born at 20. Ceres Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool, Lancashire on the 24th March 1885, the eldest son of Thomas and Rose Ann Fearon (née Traynor). His father was a professional seaman and Peter had five younger siblings. He was educated at St. Alexander’s Elementary School, Bootle.
While he was still a child, his father became a coal dealer and Peter assisted him on occasions before joining the Mercantile Marine as a trimmer, fireman, and later a greaser on steam ships operating out of Liverpool.
He married Mary Anne Campbell at St. Alexander’s Church, Bootle, on the 26th December 1912, and they lived at 106, Olivia Street, Bootle, with their two children – Thomas and Helena.
He engaged as a greaser in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool on the 12th April 1915. His monthly wage as a greaser was £7-0s.-0d. and he was granted a £1 advance at the time. He reported for duty at 8 o’clock on the morning of the 17th April 1915 for what proved to be the Cunarder’s last ever voyage out of the River Mersey.
He was killed just three weeks later when she was sunk. He was aged 30 years.
His body was never recovered and identified after the disaster, and as he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London and on the municipal war memorial in Bootle, Merseyside.
He is also commemorated on the family grave in Ford Cemetery, Litherland, Liverpool, the inscription on the headstone stating: -
ALSO MY DEAR HUSBAND
PETER FEARON,
LOST HIS LIFE ON THE “LUSITANIA”
7TH MAY 1915, AGED 30 YEARS.
The Cunard Steamship Company paid all the crew members, whether they were killed or survived, up to and including the 8th May 1915, 24 hours after the ship had gone down. In August 1915, the balance of wages owing to Greaser Fearon, was paid to his widow in respect of his sea service from the 17th April to the 8th May. The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited also granted a yearly pension to Mary Fearon to compensate her for the loss of her husband. This amounted to £47-6s.-1d. (£47.30½p.) per year which was payable at the rate of £3-18s-11d. (£3.94½p.) per month.
His daughter, Helena, died in 1917, aged 2 years, and his widow, Mary, later found work as in a match manufacturing factory. She continued to reside at 106. Olivia Street, Bootle, until her death in November 1965.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Liverpool Echo, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/43836, UniLiv. PR 13/24, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Helen Ryan, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 11th November 2023.