Bartholomew ‘Bart’ Gaul was born in Swansea, Glamorganshire, South Wales, in 1886, the son of James and Sarah Gaul (née McAndrew). His father was a furnaceman in a copper mine or copper works, and Bart was the second youngest of nine children in the family.
In the 1890’s, the family moved to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, where his father died in December 1899, leaving his mother and older siblings to provide for the family. In 1915, he lived at 105, Fonthill Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool.
He joined the Mercantile Marine as a ship’s steward on completing his education and was employed by the Cunard Steam Ship Company. He served for many years as a waiter on the Ivernia.
He engaged as a second class waiter in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly wage of £4-5s.-0d. (£4.25p.), and then joined the ship on the early morning of the 17th April - the last day that the vessel ever sailed the River Mersey. He also served as a library steward.
He survived the sinking, three weeks later and on his return to Liverpool, he gave a deposition under oath on the 13th May, to an officer of the Board of Trade. His
deposition reported: -
‘The said ship was in the vicinity of the Old Head of Kinsale when deponent who was in the 2nd Cabin Pantry felt the vessel shake fairly heavily and noticed people making for the deck. Deponent went up to A Deck aft and found the vessel had a heavy list to starboard, so he proceeded to the after collapsible boats and with others started to get them ready for launching.’
‘There were then several boats in the water and deponent called to one (presumably No 21) to unship the blocks and get away from the steamer, so that the collapsible boats could be launched.’
‘After doing this, he went back to the boats to see that everything was in order and on returning to the ship’s side and pulling at the ropes, found that the blocks had been cut away.’
‘Deponent then with others cut adrift empty **** lockers and threw them overboard and whilst doing this, the ship listed very heavily and sank bow first, deponent going down with her, subsequently coming to the surface near an upturned boat.’
‘Deponent clambered on to the keel and eventually, with others, was picked up by the patrol boat “Julia”.’
‘The weather at the time was fair and clear and deponent saw no signs of any panic amongst the people on board.’
The Julia was in fact a fishing vessel.
At some stage after his return to Liverpool, he was officially paid off from the Lusitania’s last voyage and given the balance of wages owing to him, which amounted to £4-9s.-6d. (£4.47½p.). In keeping with all the vessel’s crew members, whether they survived or perished, this sum included pay up to and including the 8th May - 24 hours after the sinking.
His older brother Richard Gaul, who lived nearby at 104B Fonthill Road, Kirkdale, also served on board the Lusitania, as a greaser in the Engineering Department. He was less fortunate than his brother, however, as he lost his life in the sinking. His body was never recovered and identified afterwards.
Bart married Florence Anderson in Liverpool on the 5th January 1918 and continued to serve as a waiter on trans-Atlantic liners until at least 1927. The couple lived at 1. Flawn Road, Clubmoor, Liverpool. They had three children – Francis Richard, who was born in 1919 and died in 1921, Robert, born in 1921, and Josephine, who was born in 1926.
Bart Gaul died at Mill Road Infirmary, Liverpool, on the 23rd February 1929, aged 42 years. He was buried in Anfield Cemetery, Liverpool.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, England & Scotland Select Cemetery Registers 1800 – 2022, 1891 Census of Wales, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Liverpool Daily Post, PRO ADM 137/1058, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 349, PRO BT 351/1/49784, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 30th November 2023.