Jack Goodall was born in Kearny, New Jersey, in the United States of America, in July 1914, the son of Willie and Beatrice Goodall (née Lockwood). He had a brother, Leonard, who had been born in England in 1907. His father’s occupation in England had been as a rag grinder.
His parents and brother had emigrated from Batley, Yorkshire, England, in 1911 in the hope that his father might find regular work, but when this proved not to be the case - although he did find work as a labourer - they decided, in the spring of 1915, to return to Yorkshire.
Consequently, they booked third class passage on the Lusitania, to make the voyage across the Atlantic, commencing with her May sailing, which was scheduled to leave New York for Liverpool on the morning of 1st May 1915. Having left Kearney at the end of April, accompanied by Florence Lockwood, who was married to his mother’s uncle, and her two children – Clifford and Lily, and also Edith Robshaw, who was a niece of Florence Lockwood, the party of eight arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York port on May Day morning, in time for the liner’s scheduled 10 o’clock departure. This was then delayed until just after mid-day, because the liner had to embark passengers, crew, and cargo from the liner
Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship at the end of April.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20, off the coast of southern Ireland, only about fourteen hours away from her Liverpool home port. This action was a total tragedy for the Goodall family as they were all killed and not one of their bodies was found and identified afterwards. In addition to the Goodall’s, Florence Lockwood, her two children, and Edith Robshaw also perished. Only the body of Lily Lockwood was ever recovered and identified.
Jack Goodall was just ten months old at the time of his death!
Cunard Records, Bradford Daily Post, Yorkshire Observer, Leeds Mercury, 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.