Robert Currie. Wright was born at his family home at Muir Street, Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the 30th April 1861, the son of Robert and Jessie Wright (née Currie). His father worked in or operated a saw mill, and one of his brothers later became Procurator Fiscal in Motherwell.
Robert became a railway clerk and then, in 1881, he immigrated to the United States of America and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked for a firm named Akers and Tulsiman. He so liked America that he successfully applied for United States citizenship, which was granted in 1886.
On the 19th July 1888, he married Sarah Jane “Sadie” O’Neill in Cuyahoga County,
Ohio, and the couple had three children. By 1915, the family were residing at 985. East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return to Scotland for a holiday and as a consequence, he had booked passage on the Anchor Lines vessel the S.S. Cameronia from New York to Glasgow, but at the end of April, she was requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship, and her passengers, cargo and some of her crew were transferred to the Lusitania instead. As a consequence, Robert Wright joined the Cunarder on the morning of 1st May and was allocated a saloon room by the Purser, James McCubbin. His ticket number was 70416, which was probably the original one he had booked with the Anchor Line.
The Lusitania finally left the Cunard berth at Pier 54 at 12.27pm., and six days later, on 7th May 1915, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland.
Robert Wright survived this action, however and his experiences were later reported in The Carluke & Lanark Gazette. The account stated: -
He was helping a lady into one of the boats when the vessel gave a lurch and he was thrown violently into the boat. Owing to one of the funnels of the liner falling, a high surge was caused which upset the boat and he found himself struggling in the water.
Backwards and forwards he was dashed for some time, but at length the waters became calmer after the sinking of the liner. Then he stretched out his arms and experienced the great comfort of floating easily in the water. He felt that he could have lain there on his back all day, but the coldness of the water at length aroused him to the necessity of exertion.
He swam to an overturned boat 200 yards away, and clambering up on it, was surprised to discover the dead body of a six months’ old infant resting on the boat, which was being rocked gently to and fro by the motion of the waves. Close by the boat floated the body of a woman, presumably the mother of the child.
At 5.30, Mr. Wright was picked up by a torpedo boat and conveyed to Queenstown.
From Queenstown, Robert Wright eventually made it back to his native Motherwell and after recovering and enjoying his holiday, returned in September 1915 to Cleveland. Purser James McCubbin, who had allocated Mr. Wright his saloon room on the Lusitania, lost his life as a result of the torpedoing.
From 1919, after the War had concluded, Robert Wright, frequently accompanied by his wife, made annual visits to his native Scotland, until 1939, when war broke out once again.
In his later years, Robert and his wife resided at 1852. Roxford Road, East Cleveland, Ohio. He died on the 5th October 1946, aged 85 years.
Scotland Select Births and Baptisms 1564 – 1950, Cuyahoga County Ohio U.s Marriage Records and Indexes 1810 – 1973, Ohio U.S. Death Records 1938 – 2018, 1871 Census of Scotland, 1881 Census of Scotland, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, 1940 U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists
Hamilton Advertiser, Ithaca Journal, PRO BT 100/345, PRO 22/71, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.