Richard Gaul was born in Swansea, Glamorganshire, South Wales, on the 2nd June 1879, the son of James and Sarah Gaul (née McAndrew). His father was a furnaceman in a copper mine or copper works, and Bart was one of nine children in the family.
In the 1890’s, the family moved to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, where his father died in December 1899, leaving his mother, Richard, and his older siblings to provide for the family.
He married Bridget Kehoe in Liverpool on the 1st March 1905, and they lived at 104B, Fonthill Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, Lancashire, with their five children.
He engaged as a greaser in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly wage of £7-0s.-0d. and reported for duty at 8 a.m. five day’s later before the vessel left England for the last time.
He was killed three weeks later when the Cunarder was sunk. He was aged 35 years.
As his body was never recovered and identified after the disaster, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
His younger brother Bart Gaul, who lived nearby at 105 Fonthill Road, Kirkdale, also served on board the Lusitania as a second class waiter and library steward. He survived the sinking.
In August 1915, Richard Gaul was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and his widow was paid the balance of wages owed to him, in respect of his service on board the Lusitania from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had gone down! In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted an annual pension to Bridget Gaul to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £68-9s.-7d. (£68.48p.), payable at the rate of £5-14s.-2d. (£5.70½p.) per month.
Bridget Gaul died in Liverpool on the 1st December 1931.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, 1881 Census of Wales, 1891 Census of Wales, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, New Ross Standard, PRO ADM 137/1058, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/49792, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 30th November 2023.