Thomas Dhenin was born in Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales, on 1st April 1875, the youngest of a reported thirteen children of Louis Elijar and Sarah Dhenin (née Davies). His father was a shipwright, and during Thomas’ childhood, the family moved to Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. When his father died in 1887, his mother became a missionary at a railway station, and Thomas found work there as on office boy.
On the 6th September 1903, Thomas married Evelyn Thomson at St. Leonard’s Church, Bootle, Liverpool, and by this time he was employed as a baker. Within months of their marriage, Evelyn was expecting their first child, and it is possible that before the birth, Thomas had gone to Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States of America, to find work. Their first child, Thomas Victor Dhenin, was born in late 1904.
Thomas found work as a printer, and in October 1906, his wife and young son joined him. The family returned to England in April 1913, and by this time the couple had a daughter names Isabella, who was born in late 1912, and whereas Thomas returned after a short holiday, his wife and two children remained there until late August 1914.
In early 1915, Thomas’ mother-in-law became seriously ill back in Liverpool and the family decided to make a return visit to see her. Also, Thomas had decided that he would enlist in the British Army on his return. As a consequence, they booked as third class passengers on what proved to be the Lusitania’s final trans-Atlantic crossing and with ticket number 1695, they boarded the liner at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York, in time for the liner’s scheduled 10.10 a.m. departure. This was then delayed until 12.27 p.m., as she had to embark passengers, cargo and some of the crew from the Anchor Lines vessel the S.S.
Cameronia, which the British Admiralty had requisitioned as a troop ship. There were four other young men travelling in the company of the Dhenins, all off whom were intend on enlisting in the British Army. These were Alex McCallum, Arthur Shepperson, Herbert Johnson, and William Muirhead.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was struck by a single torpedo fired by the German submarine
U-20. At that time, the Dhenin children were playing together out of sight of their parents, but by going in different directions to look for them, they eventually came across them.
When it became obvious that the ship would sink, Evelyn Dhenin and the two children were put into a lifeboat which was about to be lowered, but that was the last that Thomas Dhenin ever saw of them, so the lifeboat must have been one of those which capsized, throwing its occupants into the sea. Of the others, all survived with the exception of Alex McCallum.
As the Lusitania keeled over to take her final plunge, Thomas himself jumped into the sea and managing to get in or onto a lifeboat, he survived for many hours before he was rescued. During that time, he saved the life of a lady teacher who could not swim. This and the loss of his family must have made a particular impact on him, for in later life, he made sure that all the children of a second marriage were taught to swim as soon as they were able to learn.
During the time before his rescue he came across a jacket which he put on for warmth and afterwards, discovered in one of its pockets, a Jewish silver shekel coin from the first century, which he kept as a souvenir of his experiences. This coin is still a treasured family possession today.
Once he was landed at Queenstown, he toured all the mortuaries there, searching for his family, but to no avail. He must have stayed there for some time performing this grisly task, because for the rest of his life, he had an aversion to shrimps, which he saw clinging to the soft tissue of many of the corpses that he viewed. He also went to South Wales and the Isle of Man in his search for news of his loved ones, but despite his efforts, no trace of them was ever found.
Once he finally arrived back on Merseyside, where he took up residence at 79. Kilburn Street, Linacre, Liverpool, which was the home of his mother-in-law. He and his brother-in-law joined the Army, as was his originally intention, but now with the added intention of avenging their loss, and Thomas Dhenin served with the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) and later the Royal Flying Corps, on the Western Front.
Having survived the war, he married for the second time on 3rd September 1919. His new bride was Olivia McNaulty a 23 year old from Warren Point in Northern Ireland and he returned with her to New York on the 10th November 1919. They had five children, George Thomas, who was born in America in 1924, Louis William, born in 1928, twin girls, Mabel and Olivia, who were born in 1930, and John, who was born in 1936.
The family returned to Birkenhead in July 1925, setting up home in the nearby district of Tranmere, not far from the town’s centre and ever resourceful, Thomas Dhenin continued his enterprise in many areas and made successful investments in Australia. Tragedy seemed to stalk his family, however, for his son Louis died at the early age of 11, in January 1939, and he himself lost a leg in a motor cycle accident in the 1920s. For most of his life, he resided at 98. Peel Street, Birkenhead.
After an eventful and interesting life, Thomas Dhenin died on 6th February 1947, at The Infirmary, 56. Church Road, Birkenhead, aged 71 years, although his death certificate states that he was aged 62 years! He was buried in Bebington Cemetery, Birkenhead, where he lies today. There is nothing on his headstone, however, to commemorate his surviving the sinking of the
Lusitania.
On the 13th February 1948, administration of his estate was granted to his widow, Olivia, with his effects amounting to £165-11s.-10d. (£165.58½p), however; this was revoked on the 12th February 1949. Perhaps the fact that Thomas’ widow, Olivia, married a man named Herbert Deane in early 1948 had some influence on this.
Then, on the 19th May 1949, probate was granted to Thomas Wallace Robinson, described as a book keeper, and one Millicent Adeline Johnston, who was stated to be the wife of one James Johnston, and his estate at this time was stated to be £1,015-11s.-10d. (£1,015.58½p.).
Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1813 – 1921, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, 1939 Register, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, UK Royal Air Force Airmen Records 1918 – 1940, Cunard Records, Probate Records, UniLiv D92/2/50, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Olivia Isherwood, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.