Frederick Edward Owen Tootal was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the 16th February 1876, the son of Edward Henry and Margaret Alice Tootal (née Duffield). His parents were English, and his father was a banker and a director of public companies. Frederick was one of five children and during his childhood, his family had resided in various countries, including Brazil, Gibraltar and France, where some of his siblings were born.
He became a banker, stockbroker, and businessman, operating from London and in the spring of 1915 had been in the United States of America. For his return to England, he booked saloon passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania and stayed at the Astor Hotel in New York, before joining the vessel at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the west side of the city, on the morning of 1st May 1915. Having boarded with ticket number 46091 - he was escorted to his accommodation in room B22 - which was under the personal supervision of First Class Bedroom Steward William Williams, who came from Wallasey in Cheshire, on the opposite side of the River Mersey from Liverpool.
The liner’s departure for Liverpool was then delayed until the early afternoon, to take on board passengers, cargo and some crew from Anchor Liner the Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20, and sank two miles closer to the shore. At that stage of her voyage, she was only 250 miles from the safety of her Liverpool home port.
Although nearly 200 saloon passengers perished as a result of this action, Frederick Tootal managed to survive the sinking, and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, he was eventually able to make it to his original destination.
Bedroom Steward Williams, who had looked after him in room B22, also survived the sinking and in due course, got back to his Wallasey home.
In October 1915, Frederick Tootal enlisted in the British Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery. He served with MI5 between January and May 1916, before being sent to Portugal, where he was promoted to Lieutenant. In August 1919, he was appointed a Chevalier of the Portuguese Military Order of Aviz, a decoration awarded to foreign military officers for outstanding service.
In the summer of 1939, Frederick Tootal married Kathleen Mary Darlington in London, and the couple, who had no children, resided at 15. Duchess of Bedford House, Kensington, London.
Frederick Tootal died on 17th June 1957, aged 81 years. At the time of his death, he was residing at 35d Queens Gate South, Kensington. He left his estate of £10,054-7s.-6d. (£10,054.37½p.) to his wife, Kathleen.
British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms 1876 – 1880, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, 1939 Register, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.