Florence “Florrie” Robshaw was born in Soothill, near Batley, Yorkshire, England, on the 13th June 1878, the daughter of William and Mary Anne Robshaw (née Auty). Her father was a boot repairer with a business premises at Leeds Road in the town, and the family lived on this premises. Florrie was one of thirteen children, only six of whom were alive by 1911.
She started her working life in a local woollen mill, before she was even 12 years of age, as was common at that time. On the 15th September 1900, she married Dick Lockwood, who also worked in the woollen industry, at Batley, Yorkshire. They resided at 5. Warwick Cottages, Batley, but later moved to Armitage Street, Ravensthorpe, where, on the 6th March 1904, their son, Clifford, was born.
On the 18th April 1906, Dick Lockwood boarded the s.s. Friesland at Liverpool, and on arrival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, twelve days later, he stated that he was a miner, intending to travel to Altoona, Pennsylvania.
On the 19th July 1906, Florrie and Clifford arrived in New York City on board the Teutonic, and travelled to Frugality, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, to be re-united with Dick Lockwood, however, the family soon moved on to Kearny, Hudson County, New Jersey, where Dick Lockwood found work as a machinist at a steel works. Florrie had a brother, George Robshaw, and a niece, Edith Robshaw, also residing and working in New Jersey at this time.
On the 5th March 1908, their second child, Lillian, known as “Lily”, was born, and in May 1911, Florrie brought the two children on a two-month holiday back to Yorkshire. When they were returning, early in the month of August, they were accompanied by Mrs. Beatrice Goodall, who was a niece of Florrie’s husband, and Beatrice’s husband and son – William and Leonard.
In the spring of 1915, Florrie Lockwood decided to return home again for a family holiday, and as a consequence, booked third class passage for herself and her two children on what proved to be the Lusitania's last voyage, which left New York just after mid-day on 1st May 1915. Travelling with them was Florence’s niece, Edith Robshaw, and William and Beatrice Goodall, together with their two sons, Leonard and Jack.
Six days later, when the ship was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination, all eight of them were killed. Only Lily Lockwood’s body was ever recovered and identified. Florrie Lockwood was aged 35 years.
After the war, George Robshaw, Florrie’s brother, filed a claim for compensation for all of their deaths, on behalf of Florence’s husband. George, being a naturalized citizen of the United States, felt he had a better chance of succeeding in a claim, rather than Dick Lockwood, who was still a British subject. The Mixed Claims Commission refused to make any award as George Robshaw was not dependant on the Lockwood’s or Edith Robshaw, and as Dick Lockwood was not an American citizen, he was not entitled to any compensation.
Dick Lockwood re-married in 1916, and fathered twin daughters. He resided for the remainder of his life in Kearny. He died in 1963.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, West Yorkshire England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1910, West Yorkshire Church of Engla
Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Pennsylvania Passenger Lists 1800 – 1962, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2198 & 2202, PRO BT 100/345, Leeds Mercury, Yorkshire Observer, UniLiv D92/2/434, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.