Arthur Kay Scott was born in Nelson, Lancashire, England, on the 6th April 1907, the son of Arthur and Alice Ann Scott (née Kay), formerly of Mosley Street, Nelson, Lancashire, England. He had a brother or sister who died in infancy or early childhood about whom nothing is known.
In August 1914, his father went to the United States of America, and settled in North Adams, Massachusetts and in November 1914, Arthur and his mother followed him.
On her arrival at North Adams, however, Arthur’s mother was taken seriously ill and decided to return to Nelson at the earliest opportunity, taking him with her.
Consequently, she and Arthur junior booked as third class passengers on the Lusitania, leaving New York on 1st May 1915. Arthur’s father then wrote to his own mother, who
lived in 10, Appleby Street, Nelson, to expect Alice and her grandson at Liverpool on 7th May.
Once on board the ship, the Scotts found that they were sharing a cabin with Mrs. Elizabeth Duckworth, who came from Blackburn, also in Lancashire, and the three of then struck up a friendship - albeit brief. In fact, the three Lancastrians were on the deck together, six days later, having just finished lunch, when the liner was torpedoed.
So great was their panic that all three of them ran to the foremast and rapidly begun to climb up the rigging on it. Whilst the other two were persuaded down by a ship’s officer fairly soon after, Arthur was half way up a rope ladder and was most reluctant to leave his perch. Eventually, however, he was talked into sliding down, but at the last moment fell off and landed on his back, on the deck, winding himself in the process.
Nevertheless, he was picked up and put in one of the boats being launched, but as there was not enough room in it for his mother or Elizabeth Duckworth, they had to seek places in another. This proved disastrous for his mother, who was killed when her boat was badly launched and all its occupant were pitched into the sea!
Arthur was eventually rescued from the sea, however, landed at Queenstown and taken to The Westbourne Hotel, to recover, where he subsequently met Elizabeth Duckworth who had also survived after an amazing ordeal! On Saturday 8th May, Arthur was helped to send a cable to his grandmother at 10, Appleby Street, Nelson, which pathetically stated: -
AM SAVED; HOPE MOTHER IS - ARTHUR SCOTT.
Some time after that, his mother’s body was recovered from the sea, and also taken to Queenstown and put in one of the temporary mortuaries there.
On 10th May, another cable was sent to Appleby Street, Nelson, which further stated: -
ALICE ANN’S BODY COMING HOME TUESDAY AFTERNOON. BOY SAFE, COMING HOME SAME TIME.
Either this was a mistake, or a change of mind was made, however, because Alice Scott’s body was actually buried in Queenstown on 13th May.
His father left America on the next available steamer when he heard the news of the tragedy, to join his son in Nelson, as soon as possible, but by this time, Arthur junior was already at his grandparents’ address in Nelson, having been taken there by a missionary specially appointed for the task.
On the same day that his mother was buried in Queenstown, Arthur Scott and Elizabeth Duckworth were present together at the funeral of fellow third class passenger Clara Hebden, in Barnoldswick, Yorkshire. Presumably they had both met Mrs. Hebden on the Atlantic crossing. It must have been quite an ordeal for little Arthur, having lost his mother only six days previously!
In the early summer of 1915, his grandparents, on young Arthur’s behalf, applied for financial help from The Lusitania Relief Fund, which had been set up not long after the sinking by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local businessmen, to give financial help to those survivors or relatives of the killed who had fallen upon difficulties as a result of the outrage.
The awards committee declined to make any award, although they must have given the matter some consideration. Surviving records state that: -
‘Mother was drowned & father could not be found – He has now appeared and will support son”.
The Westbourne Hotel still exists today, but is now a night club known as The Cellar.
Arthur’s father enlisted in the British Army for the duration of the War and was fortunate enough to survive, while young Arthur was presumably cared for by relatives in Nelson and attended school there. On completing his education, he, like his parents, served an apprenticeship in a woollen mill and became a weaver.
In September 1923, Arthur and his father immigrated to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, leaving his step-mother behind them in Nelson. Arthur’s father had re-married in 1916. When father and son had established themselves in Canada, they were joined by Arthur’s step-mother. They made their home in Dunnville, Ontario.
On the 4th March 1933, Arthur married Marian Thurston in Dunnville, and they had one child, a daughter named Joan Marilyn.
Arthur Scott died in Hamilton, Ontario, on the 19th June 2001, aged 94 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Ontario Canada Marriages 1826 – 1938, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Canada Ocean Arrivals 1919 – 1924, Cunard Records, Burnley News, Burnley Express, Lancashire Daily Post, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, 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.