Phyllis Hutchinson was born in Oxton, Cheshire, England, in late 1890, the only child of Edward Mason and Isabel Lucy Martha Hutchinson (née Franks). Her father was a corn miller and senior partner in the family firm of Walmsley and Smith. Her uncle, Mr. Mason Hutchinson, J.P., was a former Lord Mayor of Liverpool. Phyllis Hutchinson herself was a talented musician. In 1915, the family home was at 'Woodcroft', Eleanor Road, Bidston, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England.
Her first visit to the United States of America was in 1903 when she was only a girl of twelve years. Having left Liverpool on board the White Star Liner
Celtic in April of that year, she arrived in New York on 24th of that month, probably on a visit to relatives.
On the outbreak of the Great War, she decided to help the war effort by making clothing for British soldiers in the field and was soon overseeing a party of seven young women in a specially rented building in Oxton, a district of Birkenhead. She was helped in her work by her maternal uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Franks, who lived at Llewellyn Park, West Orange, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A.. Mr. Franks was Andrew Carnegie's financial agent and through the Red Cross, Mrs. Franks gathered over 1,000 articles of clothing in Newark which were sent to Miss Hutchinson in Birkenhead for eventual distribution.
In due course, however, the strain of this work became too much for her and her health deteriorated to such an extent that she was ordered to give up her labours and take a rest. She decided to recuperate in America and despite the war, in February 1915, left for a holiday in Newark with her aunt and uncle. She sailed from Liverpool on the
Lusitania and arrived at New York on 20th February. When she arrived in Newark, she was given a very warm welcome by many people who had learned of her war work through the Red Cross.
Having recovered, she decided to return home to continue her work there and booked as a saloon passenger on what turned about to be the
Lusitania's final voyage. Before she joined the liner at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York, on the morning of 1st May 1915, she stayed at the home of Mr. R.A. Franks of 576, Broadway, New York, who was presumably another relative. Once on board, with ticket number 46087, she was allocated room B91, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward James Collins, who came from Formby, in Lancashire.
Her sailing was then delayed because she had to wait to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Lines vessel
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship at the end of April. Then, six days out of New York on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, the
Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that time, she was only about 250 miles away from her Liverpool destination. Phyllis Hutchinson was one of over 175 saloon passengers killed as a result. She was aged 24 years.
After news of the sinking reached West Orange, her uncle cabled Edward Hutchinson for any news of his niece's survival, but Hutchinson's reply only confirmed the family's worst fears. No sign of Phyllis Hutchinson was ever found again and her body was never recovered from the sea and identified.
In the edition of New Jersey newspaper The Barrow News, for 15th May 1915 - the locality where her uncle and aunt lived, it was stated: -
She was making the return trip as a first class saloon passenger, and the only news of her about the time the vessel was torpedoed comes from the purser, who says he saw her standing on the deck along with the ship’s typist.
The dead body of the latter young lady has been recovered, but although a representative waited at Queenstown for several days after the fearful disaster, and made exhaustive enquiries, nothing further could be learned of Miss Hutchinson.
The purser was James Alexander McCubbin from Bootle, Lancashire who also perished in the sinking, but Assistant Purser William H. Harkness and Second Purser P. Draper both survived, so it must have been one of them who reported having seen Phyllis Hutchinson with the ship’s typist who was Miss Sadie Hale from Belfast.
Phyllis Hutchinson is commemorated on a marble plaque inside the Parish Church of St. Oswald, at Bidston, in Birkenhead, Merseyside, not far from where she lived and where she worshipped. The inscription states: -
AND ALSO IN MEMORY OF
HUTCHINSON, PHYLLIS, DIED IN THE SINKING OF THE “LUSITANIA” MAY 7 1915
Buried in St. Oswald’s churchyard is fellow saloon passenger Charles Edwin Paynter from Oxton, Birkenhead, who also perished in the sinking and whose body was recovered later.
It is possible that Phyllis Hutchinson’s mother went to Holyhead, where a lot of the survivors landed, in the hope of finding her daughter amongst them. In
The Widnes Weekly News for 14th May 1915 a crew survivor, First Electrician George Hutchinson related a curious and truly pathetic incident.
He said that as he himself arrived at Holyhead, he was met by a lady who was seeking news of her daughter, a Miss Grace Hutchinson, as she had seen the name
"G. Hutchinson" amongst the rescued. When the First Electrician told her that he knew nothing of a Miss G. Hutchinson, but he was of that same name and initial, the poor lady fainted.
His story does not tally exactly, however, as there was no Grace Hutchinson, on board the
Lusitania, the only passenger with the name Hutchinson being Phyllis. It is possible that it was actually she to whom the story related and the First Electrician may have been confused at such an emotional time!
On 10th May 1915 the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Mr. J.E. Rayner, wrote a letter of condolence to Phyllis Hutchinson’s mother which said: -
Will you allow me to offer my sincerest sympathy with you in the loss of your daughter. It is a source of great regret that she should be one of those to perish in this frightful disaster.
There is to be a Memorial Service at St. Peter’s Church on Thursday next. Perhaps a member of your family, or friends, would like to attend, and if you will let me know I will send you tickets.
The Barrow News, for 15th May 1915 also stated: -
The deceased young woman ..... was engaged, and hoped to be married shortly to a naval lieutenant stationed somewhere in the North Sea. She had made the trip to America previously on several occasions and the one from which she was returning would probably have been the last one before settling down in England.
Administration of her estate was granted to her father at London on 31st July 1915 and her effects amounted to £678-10s-0d, (£678.50p).
Bedroom Steward Collins, who had looked after Phyllis Hutchinson in room B91, survived the sinking and eventually returned safely home to Formby.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Baptisms 1813 – 1919, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Barrow News, Birkenhead News, Newark Evening Star, Orange Advertiser, Widnes Weekly News Liverpool Record Office, Probate Records, PRO 22/71,, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.