James McAleer was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 8th January 1879, the son of James and Bridget McAleer (née Sheehan). His mother was a widow having previously been married to a man named ’Kelly’, but nothing is known about her first marriage.
His father was a horse driver and general labourer, and James was the second eldest of nine known children in the family, although only James and two of his siblings were still alive by 1911!
On completing his education, James McAleer worked as a general labourer, a miller, and later as a dock labourer.
He married to Margaret Powell in Liverpool on the 31st October 1900, and by 1915, they lived at 198 Arlington Street, Liverpool, Lancashire. By 1911, the couple had had five children, although three had died in infancy.
It is not known if James McAleer joined the Mercantile Marine as a trimmer on steam ships, or whether he was just casually employed, but he engaged as a trimmer in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania on the 12th April 1915 at Liverpool at a monthly wage of £6-0s.-0d., and he was killed when she was sunk.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and consequently he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 36 years.
In August 1915, Margaret McAleer was paid the balance of wages owing to her husband in respect of his service from the 17th April 1915 until the 8th May; 24 hours after the liner had gone down. The records of The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited state that the case for paying her a pension was a special one, but it is not known what, if any pension was granted to her.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Grave Commission, UniLiv. PR 13/24, 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 – 1st November 2024.