George John Tyson Charlton, always known as John Charlton, was born in Egton-cum-Newland, Ulverston, Lancashire, on the 12th July 1855, the son of Samuel and Margaret Charlton (née Tyson). At the time of his birth, his father was a fruiterer and gardener, and then became a druggist, before becoming a medical botanist.
John Charlton was the eldest of three children from his father’s second marriage. He had three stepsiblings from his father’s first marriage, and another nine from his father’s third marriage!
He was a professional mariner, and on the 18th June 1884, he married Annie Stead in Liverpool. The couple had no children and resided at 23. Blackburn Grove, Bootle, Liverpool. Unfortunately, Annie died on the 3rd October 1888, and on the 23rd November 1891, John married Sarah Ann Andrews (née Hoffmann), who like himself, had been widowed. They had no children and lived at Hampden Street, Liverpool.
On the 21st April 1903, Sarah Ann Charlton died in Liverpool, but by the Autumn of 1904, John had remarried, this time to Evelyn Florence Ellis (née Peacock), his third wife, with whom he had at three children. His wife had two sons from her first marriage.
In 1915, the family lived at 52, Thorndale Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, Lancashire.
He engaged as a first class bedroom steward in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania on the 12th April 1915, at a monthly rate of £4-5s-0d. (£4.25p.) and reported for duty on the morning of the 17th, before the Cunarder left Liverpool for the last time. He had sailed on the Cunarder before.
On the return journey from New York, his responsibility was for rooms E40 to E54.
He survived the sinking and on his eventual return to Liverpool he was officially paid off from the Lusitania’s final voyage, the wages owing to him amounting to £4-9s-6d. (£4.42½p.). This was to cover the period of the 17th April to the 8th May 1915, 24 hours after the liner had sunk.
John Charlton continued to work with the Cunard Steam Ship Company for many years.
George John Tyson Charlton died in Liverpool on the 29th December 1928, aged 73 years. He was buried in Anfield Cemetery on the 2nd January 1929. He was survived by his widow, Evelyn Florence Charlton, and his home at that time was at 39. Seafield Avenue, Great Crosby, Liverpool. He left an estate of £203-11s.-6d. (£203.57½p.).
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, 1861 Census of England, 1871 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, Cunard Records, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 351/1/23410, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 5th January 2023.