Robert “Bob” James Ewart was born in Tullycallidy, Killylea, County Armagh, Ireland on the 8th October 1874, the son of James and Letitia Ewart (née McCall). He was one of nine children and his father was a farmer.
In April 1904, he emigrated to the United States of America when he boarded the
S.S. Teutonic at Liverpool, England, and disembarked at Ellis Island, New York on the 5th May. He started working as a clerk with the The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in New York City, and on the 31st July 1913, he had become a naturalized citizen of the United States.
He was promoted to store manager of the company’s premises at 1831. Broadway, Brooklyn, and resided over the store with a Mr. Fred Smith and his family. In April 1915, his employers closed the store he was managing in order to open two economy stores in the area, and due to his loyal service he was given a six months leave of absence, and the promise of a position as manager of another store. He therefore decided to travel back to his home in Ireland to visit his mother and other relatives.
As a consequence, he booked a second cabin passage on the May sailing of the
Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. It is assumed that he must have boarded the vessel at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York port before her scheduled sailing time of 10.00 a.m., and like all the other passengers and crew, he would then have had to have waited until just after mid-day before the liner sailed. This was because she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner the
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship, at the end of April.
Then, after a fairly eventless voyage, 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 home port.
Robert Ewart was lucky enough to be amongst the 230 second cabin passengers who actually survived this action and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, he was given a rail ticket to Kingsbridge railway station in Dublin, and expenses of £0-5s-0d (£0.25p).
He eventually managed to reach his mother’s home suffering from bruises to his head and body, which he sustained while being thrown into sea from the vessel. He remained in Ireland for a year, later claiming that he was incapable of working during this period due to the injuries he had received.
Robert Ewart returned to the United States on board the Finland on the 6th May 1916, and either had lost his job during his absence, or else resigned. He was employed by a man named Louis Kratter in a grocery store at 199 – 201. South Portland Avenue, Brooklyn, and took up residence at 10. St. Mark’s Avenue, Brooklyn, which was a short distance away from his place of employment.
He married a woman named Emily, who was born in Norway, and moved to Crystal Lake, Bradley, Lincoln County, Wisconsin where he took up farming. In November 1921, the couple had a daughter named Elvia Letitia.
Robert filed a claim for compensation for his injuries and loss of his personal belongings as a result of the sinking of the
Lusitania, which was considered by the Mixed Claims Commission after the war. Robert claimed that his personal belongings were valued at $1,000.00, and that he also had $7,263.00 in cash. His explanation for having such a large sum of money on him was due to the fact that he had lost his saving in 1907, due to the collapse of a bank in Brooklyn where he had his money deposited. He stated that he never trusted banks after this experience. This amount of money seems staggering when the evidence stated that he was earning $35.00 per week. He was unable to provide any corroborative evidence to support his claim with regards to the amount of cash he had lost, and therefore the Commission declined to compensate him in this regard. It did, however, award him the sum of $1,000.00 in compensation for his lost personal belongings, and a further $3,500.00 for the injuries he suffered.
The family later returned to New York City, where Robert died on the 17th January 1956, aged 81 years.
1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 -1957, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, Cunard Records, New York State and Federal Naturalization Records 1794 – 1943, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2208, U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards 1917 - 1918, U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards 1942, New York Times, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn Times Union, Standard Union, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/1/1, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.