Edward Lawrenson was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England, on the 20th May 1857, the son of Edward and Ann Lawrenson (née Critchley). His father was a collier in one of the local coal mines, and Edward was one of ten known children in the family.
On completion of his education, Edward followed in his father’s footsteps, going to work in the coal mines, first as a drawer, and later as a collier. On the 2nd March 1879, he married Elizabeth Derbyshire in St. Catherine’s Church, Wigan, and the following year their daughter, and only child, Margaret Ann, was born.
It would appear that in November 1880, Edward Lawrenson, then aged 23 years, accompanied by an 18-year-old youth, broke in to a house near Wigan and stole a quantity of liquor, resulting in both of them being convicted of burglary in February 1881 and being sentenced to three months imprisonment. As a result, Edward was in prison when the 1881 census was taken, and his wife and daughter were taken in by his wife’s sister while he served his sentence.
In 1895, Edward travelled to Nanaimo, British Columbia, to work as a coal miner, leaving his wife and daughter in Wigan. In 1900, his daughter, Margaret, married a coal miner named Peter Winstanley in Wigan, and following the wedding, Edward’s wife, daughter, and son-in-law travelled to Nanaimo to join him.
The two couples prospered in Canada, but the marriage between Peter Winstanley and Margaret broke down and Peter bought a farm of 92 acres at Crescent Valley, near Slocun Junction, just outside Nelson, British Columbia. He was murdered in his log cabin on the 3rd May 1912 during an apparent burglary. By then, Edward and Elizabeth Lawrenson were residing in Michel, British Columbia, Canada, where Edward Lawrenson had amassed a considerable fortune.
In the spring of 1915, Edward and his wife decided to return to Lancashire permanently, and as a consequence, booked as second cabin passengers on the 10.00 a.m. sailing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool on 1st May 1915.
Having arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York harbour in time for this sailing, the couple had to wait until just after noon before the liner actually left her anchorage and began what was to become her last ever voyage from America. The delay was caused because Anchor Liner the S.S. Cameronia had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for service as a troop ship at the end of April and the Lusitania was required to take on board her passengers, cargo and some of her crew.
Six days out of New York, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her home port, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. Both Edward and Elizabeth Lawrenson were killed as a result of this action. Edward Lawrenson and his wife were both aged 57 years.
On 22nd May 1915, the Queenstown office of Cunard received a letter from New York, which contained the following description of Edward Lawrenson: -
Had a gold watch and chain also a silver one. Ring with 2 Rubies. Scarf pin made of a gold dollar with monogram on. $700 pinned in his pocket. Four front teeth missing.
Above information secured from Mrs. A. Mahoney, (sister) 953 Tiffany St. Bronx.
However, none of the recovered bodies matched this description and as a result, Edward Lawrenson has no known grave - nor was the body of his wife Elizabeth recovered and identified either.
Another sister, Mrs. R. Scott, lived at 884, East Nineteenth Street, Paterson, New Jersey.
Their daughter, who by 1916 had travelled to Australia and re-married, and was now Mrs. Margaret Ann Hunt, of Newcastle, New South Wales, filed a claim with the Canadian Commission seeking compensation for the loss of her parents personal property and money in the sinking. The Commission awarded her compensation of $1,550.00 in April 1926.
Births, Marriages and Deaths, Wigan England Church of England Marriages 1754 – 1926, 1871 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of Canada, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, A Calendar of Prisoners Trials at the Assizes for year 1881, Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, New York Times, The Province, Wigan Observer and District Advertiser, Canadian Cla
Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.