Joseph Glancy was born in Whitehall Street, Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland, on the 13th May 1872, the son of Malachi Glancy and his wife Mary (née Reilly). His father was a sub-constable with the Royal Irish Constabulary, and for the first nine years of his life, he lived in Clones, before his father was transferred to Dublin. The family were residing at 7. First Avenue, Sarsfield Road, Inchicore, Dublin, in September 1889, when Joseph’s father died. His mother later brought the family to Belfast, Antrim, where they resided first at 50. Nansen Street, and later at 125. Dunluce Ave., Lisburn Road, Belfast.
He worked in the law stationery department of Messrs. W. & G. Baird Ltd., of Belfast and was secretary of the Catch-My-Pal Union in the same city, before leaving for Canada in August 1913. Once there, he settled in Toronto, Ontario where he worked at Eaton’s Stores.
In April 1915 he set off from Toronto, to return to Belfast to take up a professional position there, and just after mid-day on 1st May he left New York on the
Lusitania as a second cabin passenger on what became her last ever voyage. He occupied berth 1 in cabin C16.
Six days out of New York, on the afternoon of 7th May, the liner was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from the safety of her Liverpool home port! As the ship took her final plunge, Joseph Glancy was pitched into the sea but after three quarters of an hour, he was rescued and eventually landed at Queenstown, from where he eventually got back to Belfast.
From there, he related his experiences which were published in an article on 12th May 1915, in
The Belfast Telegraph. The article stated: -
The first thing that attracted his attention was that the vessel was sailing round in a semi-circular course, and he came to the conclusion that there was some danger in the vicinity. In about three minutes she was struck by a torpedo. The ship shook and quivered from stem to stern, and then there was a terrific explosion.
He immediately ran down to his berth and got hold of his lifebelt. He then made for the deck, where he put on the lifebelt, and assisted another man to put on his. At that time the vessel, to all appearances seemed to be stationary. One man came up to the deck and said they were all safe, that the watertight compartments were closed, but he (Mr. Glancy) saw that the ship was gradually going down. A large number of the passengers were on the deck at that time but were without lifebelts.
Mr, Glancy slid down the side of the ship until he was within twelve feet of the water, when he dropped in. He got his leg and arm injured with pieces of wreckage. He sank after he got into the water, but came to the surface shortly afterwards, and the liner had then disappeared.
He saw around him numbers of men, women and children struggling in the water, most of them without lifebelts. His own lifebelt was at this time getting very heavy and was practically choking him. He became unconscious after being about three quarters of an hour in the water, and remembered nothing further until he subsequently found himself with fourteen others in a broken lifeboat. They were afterwards rescued by the steam trawler Brock and landed at Queenstown where they received every kindness both from the people and the officials of the Cunard Company.
On the voyage across the Atlantic, Joseph Glancy had made friends with Baptist minister, The Reverend David Loynd and his wife Alice and they exchanged visiting cards. Both the Loynds were killed and after The Reverend David Loynd’s body was washed ashore in County Kerry, Joseph Glancy was contacted by the Police and asked to get in touch with the main branch of the Loynd family, who lived in Bury, Lancashire.
Glancy did this and a copy of his letter was published in The Bury Times on 22nd May 1915. He wrote: -
As a friend of the late Mr. David Loynd and Mrs. Loynd, whom I met and had sweet fellowship with on board the ill-fated Lusitania, I offer you and all your relatives my sincere sympathy at the loss you have sustained. But while this is so, we must not forget that it is a gain to Christ. Both are at home with the Lord to-day. There were no two happier people on board - both rejoicing in the knowledge of Christ the Saviour.
I gave Mr. Loynd my name and address and I also got his, which enabled the police-sergeant at the place where the body of Mr. Loynd was washed ashore, to wire me. I was also fortunate in having your address, although I was in the water for three quarters of an hour.
I am sending you a copy of the ‘Belfast Evening Telegraph’ giving an account of my experiences; and a copy of (the) telegram from (the) Sergeant of Police at Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry, where the body was washed ashore. ‘The body Rev. David Loynd washed ashore here this morning; your name and address in his papers; inform his friends if you know them’. I wired back to (the) Sergeant immediately giving him your address. I also wired to you and at the same time called at Cunard Offices here and gave your address. ..... With sincere sympathy, from Joseph Glancy.
Some time after the sinking, Joseph Glancy applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund for financial assistance to make up for the loss of all his possessions. This fund was administered by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and a committee of local worthies to give assistance to survivors and relatives of the dead, and in response to his request, he was awarded the sum of just £3-0s-0d., on the grounds that he had recommenced work. By this time, he was living at 12, Camden Street, Belfast.
Although brought up in a Roman Catholic family, Joseph Glancy became an evangelist, and within a few months of returning to Belfast, he left his position as a commercial traveller and decided to devote his life to preaching the gospel.
On the 8th May 1919, Joseph married Lavinia Williamson in Belfast. He preached the gospel as an evangelist at various locations throughout Belfast, and included in his sermons, his experience of surviving the sinking of the
Lusitania.
On the 20th December 1940, his wife, Lavinia died, and on the 3rd September 1942, he married for a second time, his bride on this occasion being Beatrice Lilian Puttock, and the couple married at Belfast Registry Office. Joseph Glancy had no children as a result of his two marriages.
In May 1942, Joseph Glancy donated the lifebelt he was wearing when the Lusitania sank to an auction in Belfast which was raising money for the Red Cross. A Mr. Jack Phillips purchased it for £3, and immediately handed it back to Mr. Glancy!
Joseph Glancy died on the 31st December 1949 in Belfast, aged 77 years. He was buried on the 2nd January 1950 in Dundonald Cemetery in Grave 2D 17, alongside his first wife, Lavinia. At the time of his death, he resided at 10. Kerrsland Parade, Belfast.
When his will was proven in April 1950, he left his estate of £1,775-8s.-3d. (£1,775.41p.) to his widow, Beatrice, and when she died in 1996, she was buried alongside her husband and his first wife.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Belfast Northern Ireland Burial Indexes 1869 – 2011, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, Northern Ireland Will Calendar Index 1858 – 1965, IWM GB62, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, UniLiv D92/2/210, Belfast City Council Burial Records, Belfast Telegraph, Bury Times, Larne Times, Northern Whig, Graham Maddocks, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.