Frederick Joseph ‘Fred’ Rose was born in Chapeltown, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, in 1875, the son of Henry and Judith Rose (née Farrow). He had two older brothers, Harry John, born in 1870, and Charles William Robertson, born in 1872, and a younger brother, Frank Edward, born in 1878. His father was a linen manufacturer and merchant.
In August 1878, his brother, Charles William Robertson, died, and was buried on the 31st August in Beckett Street Cemetery, Leeds. Four days later, on the 4th September, his father was buried in the same grave! His mother reared Fred and his two brothers in Leeds, residing with her married sister, before she remarried in 1892.
Fred became an apprentice draper, before deciding to become a professional mariner, and by 1902, was qualified as a master on foreign-going vessels. In April 1915, while master of the merchant vessel, Bronze Wings, he was taken ill, and admitted to hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States of America.
On the 22nd April 1915, the Bronze Wings departed for La Rochelle, France, under the command of the second officer, and a few days later, Captain Fred Rose was discharged from hospital and deemed fit to return to England
Consequently, he booked a second cabin passage for himself on the May day sailing of the Lusitania. Having travelled from Baltimore, he boarded the vessel at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock departure. He then had to wait until 12.27 p.m., before the liner actually left the port and slipped into the North River on what would be her last ever voyage. The delay was caused because she had to wait to embark passengers, some of the crew, and the cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia which the British Admiralty requisitioned at the end of April to use as a troop ship.
Then six days later on the afternoon of 7th May the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk within sight of the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20. Although nearly 380 second class passengers lost their lives as a result of this action, Captain Fred Rose was fortunate enough to be saved, and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown. Presumably, from there, he was able to travel on to his intended destination.
Captain Fred Rose continued his life at sea, but died of heart failure in Valetta, Malta, on the 6th September 1918, aged 43 years. At the time of his death, he was the master of the merchant vessel Rio Preto. Probate of his estate, valued at £1,094-10s.-6d. (£1,094.52½p), was granted to his brother, Harry John Rose, described as a commercial traveller, at Wakefield, Yorkshire, on the 14th January 1919.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, West Yorkshire England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1910, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, Cunard Records, UK and Ireland Masters and Mates Certificates 1850 – 1927, Baltimore Sun, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.