Charles Francis Williamson was born in Cumberland, Maryland, in the United States of America, on the 14th April 1870, the son of Henry W. and Georgiana Williamson (née Lowdermilk). His father was the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Allegany County, Maryland, and Charles was one of five children in the family.
He was descended on his mother’s side from one of the “Sons of the American Revolution”, Michael Kerschner, who fought with the American Continental Army against the British Army at Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth.
On completing his education, he was involved in life insurance for a time; however, his passion in life was art. He began travelling to Paris, France, in the mid-1900’s, where he engaged in business as an art dealer, connoisseur, and commissionaire. He dealt with many influential and wealthy people, and in the autumn of 1914, he had shipped numerous paintings, tapestries, furniture, and furnishings, to the value of $92,125.00, to New York with the intention of selling them.
In the spring of 1915, he had to cross the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of further commerce, and consequently, he booked saloon passage with The Cunard Steam Ship Company to take the May sailing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. Travelling in his company was Miss Millie A. Baker, who was an American, but was living in Paris, France, where she aspired to be an opera singer. It is possibly that they had initially met in Paris.
Before his departure, he stayed at The Buckingham Hotel, so perhaps he was not a resident of the city, or merely wanted to be closer to his point of departure.
Either way, on the morning of 1st May 1915, Charles Williamson and Miss Baker arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York in time for the liner’s scheduled 10 o’clock departure. Having boarded, (with ticket number 46059), he was escorted to his accommodation in room B34, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward James Grant, who came from Liverpool. Miss Baker occupied cabin B38, directly opposite him!
The liner’s departure for Liverpool was then delayed until the early afternoon, so that she could take on board passengers, cargo and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship at the end of April. 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 land. At that stage of her voyage, she was only 250 miles from the safety of her home port.
Williamson did not survive this sinking, not was his body ever recovered from the sea afterwards and identified. As a result, he has no known grave. He was aged 45 years. Miss Baker was also lost
Bedroom Steward Grant who had looked after him in room B34 did survive the sinking, however and eventually made it back to his Liverpool home.
Following his death, his sister, Ellen Williamson Hodges, who was Administratrix of his estate, lodged a claim with the Mixed Claims Commission for $75,000.00. She claimed that prior to returning to New York in the autumn of 1914; Charles had concealed valuable property at a secret, unknown location outside Paris, to prevent it from falling in to the hands of the German Army who were advancing on the city. She further claimed that he had in his possession a receipt for this property when he died, and that the receipt, like Charles himself, was now lost. The Commission decided that there was no substantial proof to support her claim, and declined to make any award on this issue.
On 21st February 1924, the Mixed Claims Commission awarded Charles’ father the sum of $5,000.00 as he was in receipt of $700 per month, from his late son, and was thus dependant on him. In addition, the Commission awarded the sum of $10,000.00 to his sister, Ellen Williamson Hodges, whose husband had suffered a long-term illness which had proved fatal by this time, and there was evidence to support her claim that Charles had assisted herself and her family financially during her husband’s illness, and that he had pledged to support them in the event of her husband’s death.
Charles’ net estate amounted to a staggering $140,521.86 at the time of his death, but his debts far exceeded this sum. His estate was distributed amongst these creditors who received 81.32% of the amount of their claims.
1870 U.S. Federal Census, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 218 & 529, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345. UniLiv D92/2/29, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.