Allan William N. Robinson was born in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England, in 1888, the eldest son of John and Jane Robinson of 5. Wilton Street, Redcar. He was one of seven children and his father was a joiner.
He was a time-served carpenter, and in 1911 had gone to the United States of America and settled in Clay Center, Kansas, were he initially found work at the Leipersberger Planing Mill. He then went to work as a cabinet maker for a Mr. John Kasper, and boarded with a Mr. and Mrs. John Musselman. Prior to leaving home, he promised his parents he would return for a holiday after four years.
In the spring of 1915, to keep his promise to his parents, he made plans to return home, and originally intended to sail on the Lusitania‘s sister ship the Mauretania! As the latter liner was not in service at that time, he instead booked third class passage on the Lusitania from Eric H. Swenson in Clay Center, and also purchased $50 in traveller’s cheques. He left Clay Center on the 27th April, travelling by rail to New York City, and joined the Lusitania at the Cunard quay at New York harbour, in time for her last ever sailing out of the port, which began at 12.27 p.m. on 1st May, after a delayed start.
This delay was because she had to wait to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship at the end of April.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, Allan Robinson was dead - killed as a result of the vessel’s torpedoing by the German submarine U-20, off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination.. As his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 26 years.
An account published in The North-Eastern Daily Gazette just after his death stated: -
The deceased, who left England for America three years ago, was a member of the Young Men’s Class at the Wesleyan Church, and was returning to his native town to be married to a Miss Pears (sic.).
Allan Robinson was survived by his parents, and Alfred Baxter, administrator of his estate in the United States, filed a claim for compensation on their behalf in the United States, which was considered by the Mixed Claims Commission. The Commission declined to make any award for his loss as his parents were British subjects, and no American citizen was at a loss on account of his death.
Allan Robinson was engaged to be married to a Miss Lizzie Pars, who was a niece of Alfred Baxter, and it is believed they were to be married shortly after he was due to
arrive home to Redcar. Alas, this was not to be!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Massachusetts Passenger Lists 1820 – 1963, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 4620, Dispatch-Republican, Kansas City Times, Leeds Mercury, North-Eastern Daily Gazette, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/83, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.