Timothy J. Driscoll was born in Ireland, possibly in County Cork, on the 10th May 1869, the son of john and Mary Driscoll. According to his naturalization record, he travelled to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America in 1886, and then settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where he became a “common labourer”.
On the 8th October 1891, he married Catherine Walsh, who was also a native of Ireland, and in 1896, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. The couple had no children.
It is thought that the couple separated in 1910, Timothy residing in a rooming house at 72. Tyler Street, Boston, run by a Mr. and Mrs. Burns, while Catherine resided at an address in South Boston.
In the spring of 1915, Timothy decided to return to Ireland – either permanently, or for a holiday, and consequently he travelled to New York where he booked third class passage on the May sailing of the
Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. This sailing was scheduled to leave the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York port at 10.00 a.m. on 1st May 1915, but was actually delayed until just after mid-day. This was because she had to embark passengers and crew and load cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for use as a troop ship.
Timothy Driscoll would have been on board the liner before 10 o’clock on that fateful morning, presumably having left Boston some time in April - but less than a week later, he was dead - killed on the afternoon of 7th May, after the
Lusitania was sunk. As she was steaming past The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland, she was torpedoed by the German submarine
U-20 and went down within 18 minutes. At that stage of her voyage, she was only about fourteen hours away from the safety of her home port!
As Timothy Driscoll’s body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 45 years at the time of his death.
News of his death was communicated to Mr. and Mrs. Burns in Boston, where Catherine Driscoll was unknown, supporting the fact that they were separated.
On 12th May 1918, Catherine Walsh Driscoll married John W. Wren, who was also a native Irishman, but who had become a naturalized citizen of the United States prior to the marriage. There were no children as a result of this union, either, and on 3rd July 1920, Catherine Wren died.
Her second husband, John Wren, acting as administrator of her estate filed a claim for consideration by the Mixed Claims Commission for compensation of a dubious nature. Wren claimed that his wife’s death was brought about by the anguish and suffering she experienced on learning of the death of her first husband. Needless to say, the Commission did not entertain him.
Massachusetts Marriage Records 1840 – 1915, Massachusetts State and Federal Naturalization Records 1798 – 1950, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2207, The Boston Globe, 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.