John Kelly was born at 71. Hamilton Street, Govan, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the 30th August 1878, the son of John and Margaret Kelly (née Rowantree). He was one of ten children, and at the time of his birth, his father was a boatyard worker.
While he was still an infant, his family moved to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, where his father found work as an engine fitter. By 1915, the family home was at 53, Latham Street, Stanley Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, although his father had died prior to this.
After finishing his schooling, he became a boy messenger and later a trimmer and fireman on steam ships in the Mercantile Marine.
He was engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania for her final voyage and was killed when she was sunk. He was aged 36 years.
His body was not found and identified afterwards and consequently, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
He is also commemorated on a memorial in St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church, in Great Mersey Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool, not far from where he lived.
In August 1915, the Cunard Steam Ship Company forwarded the balance of pay owing to John Kelly in respect of his sea service on the Lusitania to his family. This was reckoned to be from the 17th April 1915, the day the vessel had left Liverpool, until the 8th May 1915, 24 hours after she had been sunk. In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted his mother a yearly pension to compensate her for the loss of her son, on whom she was obviously dependent upon. This amounted to £21-5s.-3d. (£21.26p.) which was payable at the rate of £1-15s.-6d. (£1.77½p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/75428, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, George Donnison, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 4th February 2024.