Terence McParland was born in Carriff, Forkhill, County Armagh, Ireland, on the 15th July 1885, the son of Arthur and Anne McParland (née Duffy). His father had been a farmer in Ireland, and also a part-time marine fireman. Terence was the second eldest of six children in the family.
Terence McParland joined the British Mercantile Marine as a fireman on steam ships operating out of the port of Liverpool, and lodged at 28, Mann Street, Bootle, Liverpool, when in port.
He engaged as a fireman in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania, at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915, at a monthly rate of pay of £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.) and was killed when she was sunk.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and as a result his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 29 years.
His surname is spelled McFarland in a list of the crew published by Cunard in March 1916, but this is probably a misprint.
In August 1915, his family were paid the balance of wages owing to Terence McParland in respect of his sea service from the 17th April until the 8th May 1915 - 24 hours after the liner had gone down. 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 must have been some way dependant upon, which amounted to £5-1s.-6d. (£5.07½p.) which was payable at the rate of £0-8s.-6d. (£0.42½p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland., 1911 Census of Ireland, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/95494, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 6th January 2025.