Ernest James Burke was born in 1867 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England, the eldest of the nine children of James Burke and his wife Harriet (née Bishop). His father was a labourer, and shortly after his birth, the family moved to 9. Corpus Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
As the years passed, and the Burke family increased, the family relocated to Spring Vale, Penistone, Yorkshire; Edge Lane, Droylsden, Lancashire; and Grimshaw Street, Droylsden.
On completing his education, Ernest became a driller and machinist, and on the 31st July 1897, married Elizabeth Holden in the Parish Church of St. Clement in Higher Openshaw, Lancashire. On the 15th March 1900, their first child was born – a daughter named Alice.
On the 16th October 1904, Ernest Burke boarded the S.S. Baltic at Liverpool and immigrated to America, settling in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where he readily found work. He was accompanied to Rhode Island by his brother-in-law, Harry Holden, who was a chemist. Having established himself in America, his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter, Alice, joined him in July 1905, and the family took up residence at 541. Pine Street, Central Falls, Rhode Island. On the 16th July 1908, the couple had a second daughter, named Dora. Ernest earned between $1,200.00 and $1,900.00 per annum as a machinist and also taught music to supplement his income.
In the spring of 1915, Ernest left America for England, to look for work there, perhaps because of the war, and consequently booked as a third class passenger on the
Lusitania, which left New York just after mid-day on 1st May 1915 after a delayed start. This was because she had to load cargo and embark passengers and some of the crew from the Anchor Liner
Cameronia, which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for use as a troop ship at the end of April
He never saw England again, however, as he was killed six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May when the liner was torpedoed and sunk, by the German submarine
U-20. At that stage in her journey, she was within sight of the southern Irish coast and only hours away from her destination.
On 9th May 1915, a cable was received at the Cunard office at Queenstown from Providence, Rhode Island, which originated with his family and stated: -
Urgent - if found, ship body of Ernest James Burke to Harry Holden, sixty four Maskell Street, C on M Manchester - Burke.
Cunard replied the same day to the effect that the matter was receiving its attention, but nothing more was ever heard or seen of him or his body. Ernest Burke was aged 49 years at the time and as a consequence, he has no known grave. It has not been possible to identify the location of C on M, within the Manchester area, but it must have been the home of a relative. Another address he may have intended to go to was at 32. Field Street, Droylsden, Manchester.
His untimely death left his widow and children in financial difficulties, although his wife did earn a small amount by running a small general store in a poor district of Central Falls.
She wrote to Cunard, giving a detailed description of him in the hope that his remains might be identified, if recovered. Her description stated: -
48 years, About 5’ 7” in height, regular features, 130lbs in weight, Short chin, grey eyes with brown spot on one pupil, Iron grey hair and moustache, bald in front, High broad forehead, clear complexion, pale, 3 or 4 artificial teeth in front, top.
Despite the description, his remains if ever recovered were not identified.
Because Ernest Burke was resident in the United States of America his dependants were entitled to financial help from The Mayor of New York’s Fund for The Relief of Lusitania Sufferers. Subsequently, money was allotted to Mrs. Burke to purchase a better business in an area without any competition and to pay for much needed medical attention for one of her children.
Ernest, and his wife and eldest daughter, were British subjects at the time of his death and received some monetary award from the Royal Commission on Compensation for Suffering and Damage by Enemy Action, also known as the British Reparation Commission. Dora, having been born in the United States, and therefore an American citizen, was entitled to compensation from the Mixed Claims Commission, which awarded her the sum of $5,000.00 to compensate her for the loss of her father at such a tender age. She was aged only 6 years at the time of her father’s death.
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538 – 1975, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1871 Census of England & Wales, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2247, Liverpool Record Office, PRO BT 100/345, UNiLiv.D92/2/6, D92/2/12, Graham Maddocks, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.