Stuart Graham Gray was born in Oakland, Alameda County, California, in the United States of America, on the 9th June 1911, the son of William Hiram and Terence Florence Gray (née Healy). His father was a buyer for a large dry goods firm in Los Angeles, California, and the family lived at Lerida Avenue, Oakland, California.
His paternal grandparents were James Paul and Caroline “Carrie”. Gray, and his grandfather had originally come from Scotland. In the spring of 1914, his paternal grandmother had gone for a year’s holiday to Edinburgh, to stay with her married daughter there, and in April 1915, his grandfather decided to travel to Scotland to bring her back home.
His mother decided to accompany her father-in-law and take Stuart along too, and it was intended that once they had arrived there, they would stay for a holiday for at least six months. His father William decided that he would accompany them, also, but only as far as New York.
Consequently, on 22nd April, the party left San Francisco by rail for New York and boarded the
Lusitania there as second cabin passengers on the morning of 1st May, in good time for her sailing which began just after mid-day.
Just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, Stuart Gray and his mother were killed after the liner had been torpedoed only twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination. Stuart’s grandfather James Gray was fortunate enough to survive!
As no trace of his body or that of his mother was ever discovered afterwards, neither has a known grave. Stuart Gray was aged just three years!
The Mixed Claims Commission later awarded William Gray the sum of $25,000.00 in compensation for the loss of his wife and son.
California Birth Index 1905 – 1995, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2557, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/206, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Nyle Monday, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.