Charles Martin was born in Conway, Caernarvonshire, Wales, on the 20th January 1884, the son of Isaiah and Mary Martin (née Griffiths). The family home was at 21, Berry Street, Conway, Caernarvonshire, North Wales. His father was a railway signal fitter and Charles was the eldest of eight children.
On leaving school, Charles worked as a grocer’s shop assistant, and he was engaged to be married, his fiancée living in Wrexham, Denbighshire.
On the 11th April 1911, he had boarded the Carmania in Liverpool, and on arriving in New York City, he travelled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he worked, first as a steward at the Hotel Schenley, and then as a private detective, and was a prominent Freemason. He resided at 25. Bouquet Street, in the city. In 1914, on a visit to Great Britain, he decided to settle back in Wales, possibly as a result of the war, but more likely to get married. As a consequence, he returned to America in September, for one final time, to settle his affairs there and having left Pittsburgh at the end of April 1915, he joined the Lusitania as a second cabin passenger in time for her sailing out of New York harbour on the early afternoon of 1st May 1915.
He was one of the victims of the sinking, just six days later, when the vessel was in sight of the coast of Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination. He was aged 31 years. As his body was never found and identified afterwards, he has no known grave.
At the time of his death, he had a brother under training in the Army and according to an article in The North Wales Weekly News, for 13th May 1915: -
Farrier Corporal Isaiah Martin, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin, is with the Army Service Corps at Bisley Camp, and he has written a pathetic letter home to his parents. In one passage he says: "By the help of God I shall have the opportunity and I shall avenge his name when I am out there".
Isaiah Martin survived the war.
When Charles Martin’s will was proven at Bangor, Caernarvonshire, on 18th September 1915, probate was granted to his father and his effects amounted to £533-17s-04d, (£533.66½p).
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Pennsylvania Federal Naturalization Records 1795 – 1931, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, The Pittsburgh Press, The North Wales Weekly News, Probate Records, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.