Charles Henry Neilson was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 29th May 1895, the son of Henry and Frances Evelyn Neilson (née Duke). He was an only child, and his father worked as a barman.
On the 25th August 1907, the Neilson family arrived in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on board the s.s. Lake Erie from Liverpool. Five days later, they crossed the border into the United States of America at Detroit, Michigan, and travelled on to Chicago, Illinois.
It is unknown for how long they stayed in Chicago, but at some point the family moved to Brooklyn, in New York City, where both he, and his father, found work as clerks. Their home there was at 831, Nostrend Avenue.
The family returned to England in April 1913 for a three month holiday, and in the spring of 1915 they decided to return to England again. Consequently, they booked second cabin passage on the Lusitania, which left New York on the afternoon of 1st May 1915.
Six days out of New York, on the afternoon of 7th May, the liner was sunk by the German submarine U-20, within sight of The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland and all three family members were killed, including Charles, who was aged 20 years. As none of their bodies were ever recovered and identified afterwards, none of them has a known grave. At this stage of her voyage, the Lusitania was within hours of docking at Liverpool.
Later that month a Mrs. Nelson of 2, Greig Street, Park Road, Liverpool, Lancashire, applied for financial help from The Lusitania Relief Fund, set up by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, to help the survivors and relatives of victims of the sinking. On 20th May, she was granted an immediate award of £2-0s-0d., followed by 5/- (25p.), per week for four weeks and then 3/6d, (17½p.), thereafter.
It would appear from this award that Mrs. Nelson was a dependent relative of the Neilson family.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, 1901 Census of England & Wales, U.S. Border Crossings from Canada to the U.S. 1895 – 1960, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, Massachusetts Passenger Lists 1820 – 1963, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, Probate Records, PRO 22/71, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.