Joseph Friedenstein was born in New York City, New York, in the United States of America, on the 23rd February 1867, the son of Samuel and Augusta Friedenstein (née Sussman). His parents were immigrants from Hungary and Germany, respectively, and his father was originally a cap maker, but later ran a business making and selling crochet goods.
On completion of his education, Joseph became a dealer of metals, and in 1894, filed a patent with the U.S. Patents Office for his own design of a wheel rim joint. From 1892, he was crossing the Atlantic Ocean to England on a regular basis in connection with his business.
On the 2nd February 1899, he married Elizabeth Knight Morse in Manhattan, New York City, and shortly afterwards, the couple moved to England, where they lived at 59, Canfield Gardens, Hampstead, London, England. In November 1900, their only child – Florence Augusta was born.
By 1915, he was a director of William Cooke & Company Limited, of Tinsley, South Yorkshire, and on the 13th February of that year, he boarded the
Lusitania at Liverpool to conduct some business transactions with customers in New York City. He stayed in the Great Northern Hotel on West 57th Street in the city. For many years he had been sailing on the
Lusitania, or her sister ship, the Mauritania, when crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
For his return to England, he booked as a saloon passenger on the May sailing of the
Lusitania. After he had boarded, on the morning of 1st May 1915 - with ticket number 46038, he was allocated room B108, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward Percy Penny, who came from Aigburth, which was a suburb of Liverpool.
The liner’s departure from New York was delayed until the early afternoon and then, six days out, just after 2. p.m. on 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20, just off the coast of southern Ireland and only about 250 miles away from the safety of her Liverpool home port. Joseph Friedenstein was killed as a result of this action and as his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 48 years.
In a vain attempt to learn anything of the fate of her husband, Elizabeth Friedenstein inserted the following advertisement in the 12th May edition of
The Cork Examiner: -
Mrs. J. Friedenstein, 59, Canfield Gardens, London N.W., will be very grateful to any of the survivors of the Lusitania or other persons who can give her any information as to her husband Mr. Joseph Friedenstein, who was a saloon passenger, and has not since been heard of.
Any information concerning him either immediately prior to or after the disaster will be appreciated.
The advertisement did not bring her any concrete information, but false hope of the recovery of his body must have been raised on 24th May.
On that date, a telegram was sent from Queenstown to the Cunard Offices in London which stated that a body recovered in Waterville Bay, was that of Joseph Friedenstein and suggested that his relatives should be informed. The basis of this assumption concerned effects found on the body, and possibly related to a photograph which was found inside a pocket watch.
However, after consultation with Elizabeth Friedenstein, Cunard staff at Queenstown were satisfied that the body was not that of her husband, and after it was brought to Queenstown, it was buried in a private grave in The Old Church Cemetery, just north of the town.
On 14th August 1915 administration of Joseph Friedenstein's estate was granted at London, to the Public Trustee and his widow. His effects amounted to £7,966-10s-5d, (£7,966.54p).
Bedroom Steward Penny, who had looked after him in room B108 did survive the sinking, however and eventually returned to his Aigburth home.
New York Extracted Marriage Index 1866 – 1937, 1870 U.S. Federal Census, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, 1911 Census of England & Wales, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patents 1790 – 1909, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, UK Naturalisation Certificates and Declarations 1870 – 1916, Cunard Records, Probate Records, Cork Examiner, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, PRO 22/71, PRO BT100/345, UniLiv. PR13/6, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, A. Flood, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.