Thomas George Dawes was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire, England, in the summer of 1866, the son of Thomas George and Sarah Dawes (née Woods). His father was a tile cutter, and Thomas was one of four children in the family.
He moved to Liverpool as a teenager, living with a paternal uncle and his family, and on completing his education, he became a barman and later a bar manager.
On the 17th August 1890, he married Martha Alice Leyland at St. Athanasius Church, Kirkdale, Liverpool, and they eventually established their home at 57, Rawcliffe Road, Walton, Liverpool, Lancashire. The couple had ten children; however, only six of them were still living by 1911.
Sometime in the 1900’s, Thomas became a steward in the British Mercantile Marine.
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 the17th May, before the Cunarder left Liverpool for the last time.
On the return journey from New York, his responsibility was for the nine passengers in rooms B97 to B111.
He was killed after the ship was torpedoed on the 7th May 1915 and his body was not recovered and identified afterwards. Consequently, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 49 years.
The balance of wages owing to him was later paid to his widow, Martha, at Liverpool in respect of his sea service from the 17th April to the 8th May 1915; 24 hours after the liner had gone down. Administration of his will was also granted to her at Liverpool, on the 9th August 1915, his effects amounting to £103-0s.-0d.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited also granted a yearly pension to Martha Dawes to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £61-15s.-9d. (£61.78½p.) per annum, which was payable at the rate of £5-3s.-0d. (£5.15p.) per month.
The Dawes family continued to reside at 57. Rawcliffe Road, Walton, Liverpool, for many years after Thomas Dawes death.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1871 Census of England, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, Probate Records, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/34543, UniLiv. PR 13/24, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated –21st February 2023.