James Murphy was born in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland, sometime between 1850 and 1860. At some stage he had gone to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, to work in the British Mercantile Marine as a trimmer and fireman on steam ships.
On the 15th January 1902, he married Alice Mahon (née Kinsella) in Liverpool. His wife was a widow with nine children. James and Alice had no children together, and Alice died in September 1913.
In 1915, he lived at 116, Miller's Bridge, Bootle, Lancashire, just along the River Mersey from Liverpool.
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.), £1-0s.-0d. of which was advanced to him at the time. His cousin, William Sinnott, and his uncle, Matthew Murphy, also engaged as firemen at the same time. James Murphy’s previous ship had been the Alexandria.
Having completed the Lusitania’s voyage to New York, Fireman Murphy would have been stoking the furnaces when the liner left New York on the afternoon of the 1st May 1915, for her return journey to Liverpool. This was never completed, however, because on the afternoon of the 7th May 1915, she was torpedoed and sunk within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, by the German submarine, U-20.
James Murphy survived this action, however and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool, having been treated for injuries at Queenstown Infirmary. Once there, he was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and was paid the balance of wages owing to him. This sum was in respect of his service on board from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had gone down!
His cousin William Sinnott also survived the sinking of the Lusitania; however, his uncle, Matthew Murphy, was less fortunate and was lost.
There is not a lot known about his life after surviving the sinking of the Lusitania; however, by 1921, he was retired and residing in St. Joseph’s Home, Belmont Road, Liverpool, which was a retirement home.
Nothing further is known about him.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, 1891 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, Cunard Records, UniLiv.D92/1/6, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 351/1/102197, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 21st January 2025.