Jonathan “John” Vance was born at Aghnashannagh, Ballinalee, County Longford, Ireland, on the 1st April 1884, the son of William and Elizabeth Vance (née Fleming). He was one of eight children and his family were farmers.
After completing his formal education, he found work as an assistant in a hardware store in Longford town. Then, in March 1908, he boarded the Baltic at Queenstown and immigrated to the United States, where he settled in New York City and found work as a book keeper. His younger brother, Thomas, had settled in New York City in 1907.
In 1913, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America, as did his
brother, Thomas, who was a year younger than him.
In the spring of 1915, he booked second cabin passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool, perhaps to contribute to the war effort or visit his family in County Longford.
Not much more is really known about him, but he would have arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the west side of New York on the morning of 1st May 1915 in time for the liner’s scheduled 10 o’clock departure and once on board, he would have had to have waited until 12.25 p.m., before the liner actually left the port. This delay was caused because the Lusitania had to load cargo and embark passengers and crew from Anchor Liner the S.S. Cameronia, which had been requisitioned for use as a troop ship at the end of April, by the British Admiralty.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20, twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from the safety of her home port. She sank just 18 minutes later, killing two thirds of the passengers and crew on board.
One of the many second cabin passengers killed was John Vance and as his body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, he has no known grave.
His brother, Thomas, later filed a claim for compensation for his death and loss of personal belongings. Even though John’s parents were alive, and were his heirs-at-law as he did not leave a will, they were not entitled to make a claim to the Mixed Claim Commission, being British subjects. Therefore, it was Thomas Vance, as an American citizen, who submitted the claim.
Thomas Vance claimed that although he was not financially dependant on his brother, his living expenses increased as both brothers had shared the costs of their accommodation. Also, the two brothers were contributing to the cost of educating their sister – Elizabeth – and since John’s death; the onus for paying for her education fell solely on Thomas.
As John’s parents held the beneficial interest in his estate, and they and Elizabeth were British subjects, none of them could qualify for compensation from the Mixed Claims Commission, whose responsibility it was to decide on the issue. Thomas, who was a citizen of the United States, was not financially dependant on his brother, and therefore the Commission decided that no award should be made in the case of John Vance.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York U.S. State and Federal Naturalization Records 1794 – 1943, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2189, 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.