Steven ‘Steve’ McFadden was born in Flurrybridge, Jonesborough, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, on the 20th December 1882, the son of Bernard and Sarah McFadden (née White). He was the second eldest of ten children, and his father was a labourer.
For some unknown reason, the family changed their name to “McNulty” sometime between 1882 and 1885, and the birth names of some of his younger siblings were even recorded as “McAnulty”!
Around 1907, he began working in New York City in the United States of America as a hoisting engineer with the Edison Company, and on the 1st August 1914, he had begun the process of applying to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return to Armagh, perhaps because of the war in Europe, and consequently, he booked third class passage for himself on the May sailing of the Lusitania from shipping agents I. Hertz of 224, West 34th Street, New York, on 27th April 1915, and joined her on 1st May 1915, with ticket number 35545 before she left New York, for the very last time, to begin her crossing of the Atlantic to Liverpool.
He would never see his home town again, however, for he was killed just six days later after the liner was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only hours from her Liverpool destination. He was aged 32 years.
His body one of the first to be recovered from the sea, however, and after it had been landed at Queenstown it was taken to one of the temporary mortuaries there, where it was given the reference number 19. Before it was identified, it was described as: -
Male 27 years, dark thin face, slight black moustache L.M. on collar.
Presumably, the L was actually an S and was confused after immersion in the sea.
Then, after a positive identification had been made, it was buried, in The Old Church Cemetery, Queenstown, in Mass Grave C, 6th Row, Lower Tier, on 10th May 1915. This was the day that the majority of Lusitania victims were buried after a long funeral procession which began on the waterfront outside the Cunard offices at Lynch's Quay.
On 19th September 1915, property recovered from his body, which had probably aided its identification, was given to his father, Mr. B. McNulty, at the Jonesborough address. This consisted of one gold twist keeper ring, one single stone diamond ring and $7 dollars in a purse
By this time, his mother had made a successful application for financial help to The Lusitania Relief Fund. This fund had been set up after the sinking by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local dignitaries to give aid to survivors and relatives of the sinking. The sum of money awarded, was sent to her c/o The Reverend R. McCracken, at Jonesborough Rectory, in Flurrybridge.
Steve McNulty’s brother, Peter, was also on board the Lusitania’s final voyage, but as a crew member. Trimmer McNulty also perished in the sinking, but unlike his brother, his body was not recovered and identified afterwards. This left their dependent parents without any immediate means of support, although they did get some help from The Lusitania Relief Fund.
Nevertheless, as early as May 27th 1915, his parents had written to Cunard at Queenstown via solicitors Hare and O’Hagan, of 34, Hill Street, Newry, to ask if there were any money drafts in his name that might have survived.
Cunard contacted the shipping agent I Hertz in New York, who confirmed that Steve McNulty had purchased his ticket there, but also replied that if he had also purchased any money orders, then they must have been in too small amounts to have been registered separately!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York U.S. State and Federal Naturalization Records 1794 – 1943, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/1, UniLiv D92/2/272, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Peter Engberg-Klarström, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.