Charles Veitch Mills was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, on the 22nd January 1882, the son of William and Sarah Teare Mills (née Veitch). His father was a commercial traveller at the time of his birth, but later became a linen importer. Charles was one of nine children.
He became a wholesale dealer, mainly in handkerchiefs, and married Anna Bavier, who was five years his junior, on 1st October 1910, at New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York, where they continued to live in a comfortable home, at 19. Laurel Place, which they owned. The couple had no children.
His father had been born in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and had joined Robert McBride and Co., Ltd., of Belfast, who were linen merchants. He eventually became the firm’s main representative in New York, a position he held for some 30 years.
Charles Mills had also joined the firm; eventually taking over from his father, in 1913, upon the latter’s retirement. In 1915, however, he was chief salesman and buyer for J. B. Locke & Potts, who were wholesale dealers in dry goods, trading from 81-83, Franklin Street, New York. His annual salary was $4,000.00.
In the spring of 1915 business interests dictated that he travel to Belfast and consequently, on the morning of 1st May 1915, he joined the Lusitania - with ticket number 46039 - at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York harbour as a saloon passenger bound for Liverpool on the first stage of the journey to his destination. He had booked his passage through his own firm and once on board, he was allocated room B63, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward Walter Ward, who came from Seaforth, on the outskirts of Liverpool. He is reputed to have had personal property to the value of $2,000.00 in his possession on boarding.
The liner’s sailing was delayed however, as she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner S.S. Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship, at the end of April. The Lusitania finally left the port just after mid-day and just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th
May; she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that point, she was twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only 250 miles away from her destination.
Charles Mills was one of nearly 200 saloon passengers who were killed as a result of this action. He was aged 33 years, and as his body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, he has no known grave.
Bedroom Steward Wood, who had looked after him in room B63, did survive the sinking, however, and eventually got back to his Seaforth home.
Following confirmation of his death, on 14th May 1915, his widow Anna filed a claim with The State Workmen’s Compensation Commission for a pension in respect of the $4,000 per year that her husband was earning at his time of death. He was insured by The Globe Indemnity Company. The outcome of this claim is not known, but had it been granted, Anna Mills would have been entitled to one third of her husband’s annual salary for as long as she remained single and unmarried. Hers was the first claim made in respect of a Lusitania victim.
She also filed a claim with the Mixed Claims Commission after the War, seeking compensation for the death of her husband and for the loss of his personal property as a result of the sinking. On 21st February 1924, the Commission awarded her the sum of $40,000.00 for the loss of her husband, and a further $2,000.00 for the loss of his personal property.
Massachusetts U.S. Birth Records 1840 – 1915, New York U.S. County Marriage Records 1907 – 1936, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1905 New York State Census, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 275, New York Times, Northern Whig, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345., Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.