James Langmuir Ward was born in Scotland, in 1888, the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Ward, probably in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, where the family had its home at 11, Tollcross Road, Tollcross. He studied at Glasgow University, where he graduated and was later awarded a Master of Arts degree, after which he became a teacher.
In August 1913, he had gone to Saskatchewan, in Canada and taken up the post of principal of the newly built Wilkie High School.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return home to Scotland on a visit to his family and
as a consequence, booked himself a second cabin ticket on the Lusitania's scheduled sailing for 1st May 1915. He left Wilkie at the end of April 1915 and joined the vessel at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May, and was on board when she left the harbour, having been delayed, just after mid-day.
He was killed six days later after the liner had been torpedoed and sunk off the southern coast of Ireland by the German submarine U-20. At that stage of her voyage, she was only about steaming time away from the safety of her Liverpool home port. As no trace of his body was ever found and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 27 years.
In the early summer of 1915, his father in Glasgow sought financial help from The Lusitania Relief Fund, of Liverpool. This fund had been set up after the sinking by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local business people, to give financial help to second and third class survivors and the relatives of those who had lost their lives in the disaster.
Having considered James Langmuir Ward's death, the fund concluded that: -
Father is a bird fancier in humble circumstances,
and as he was obviously dependant on his late son's income and the awards committee granted him the sum of £15-0s-0d., to be given in three instalments.
On 25th October 1915, at London, James Ward senior was confirmed as executor of his late son’s will and his profession was given then as birdseed dealer. James Langmuir Ward left an estate of £330.
Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, Star-Phoenix, Liverpool Record Office, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.