Charles ‘Charlie’ Edwin Hurley was born in Chelsea, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, on the 4th of December 1881, one of nine children born to Joseph and Elizabeth Hurley (née Linthwaite). His parents had become naturalized citizens of the United States in 1886, having emigrated from Leicestershire, England. His father was a weaver.
He married Mary I. Sweinimer, the daughter of James H. and Louise Sweinimer, and a native of Nova Scotia, Canada, on 20th September 1905, but had no children and the family home was in a rented tenement at 118. Battle Street, Brockton, Massachusetts. Charlie was a shoe cutter, earning between $6 and $19.50 per week, and his wife was a seamstress.
In April 1915, he set out from Brockton to travel to New York City, where, on the morning of 1st May, he boarded the
Lusitania as a third class passenger, at her berth at Pier 54 in New York harbour. The liner’s sailing was then delayed until just after mid-day, as she had to take on board passengers, crew and cargo from the requisitioned liner
Cameronia and it would have been not long after this that Charlie Hurley had his last glimpse of his native land.
Six days later, when the liner was within sight of the southern Irish coast, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20, within hours of her Liverpool destination. Charlie Hurley was one of many third class passengers killed.
On 11th May 1915, The Leicester Daily Mercury published an account of the sinking given by originally local man and fellow third class passenger Thomas Snowden, who was travelling from Lynn, Massachusetts, and stated: -
When in the water I saw the body of a young fellow - Charlie Hurley - float by, apparently dead. He was from Brockton, Mass., and was coming to Leicester to work. He told me he was going to a Mr. J. Wine, 132, Tewksbury Street, who I presume, is a relative. I have looked in the list of those saved and as I cannot find the name, I presume that he was drowned.
On 11th May 1915, the Cunard office in Queenstown received a cable from the Boston, Massachusetts, office which simply stated: -
DESCRIPTION CHARLES HURLEY STEERAGE. BLACK HAIR SLIGHTLY BALD. BLUE EYES HEIGHT 5 FEET 10 INCHES WEIGHT 135 POUNDS AGE 33. BRIDGEWORK UPPER TEETH RIGHT WRIST BROKEN. SCAR ON CHIN.
This full description was not sufficient to help identify Charles Hurley’s body, however, for if it was recovered, it remained unidentified, and as a result, he has no known grave. It would also appear, also, that the last person to see and recognise him, albeit dead, was William Snowden.
After Hurley’s death, The Mayor of New York’s Fund for The Relief of Lusitania Sufferers awarded a grant of $500.00 to his widow.
Mary Hurley died on 27th December 1919, many years before claims submitted by her, and Charlie’s parents, were considered by the Mixed Claims Commission. As Charlie’s parents were not financially dependant on him, and Mary’s estate would only benefit British subjects, the Commission decided to make no award.
Massachusetts Birth Records, 1840 – 1915, Massachusetts Marriage Records 1840 – 1915, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1910, U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passports Applications 1795 – 1925, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 406 & 620, Leicester Daily Mercury, NGMM D/Lus/4/3, Liverpool Record Office, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/316, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.