Francis James Hagan was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 25th August 1883, the son of Henry James and Ellen Hagan (née O’Donnell). He was one of four known children and his father worked as a shop assistant and later a commercial agent.
On completing his education, he worked as a stationer’s assistant before he became a professional waiter in the Mercantile Marine.
He engaged as a first class waiter in the Stewards’ Department on the Lusitania, at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly rate of £4-5s.-0d. (£4.25p.) and joined her at 7 a.m., on the 17th April before she left Liverpool Princes Landing Stage for the last time ever.
Having successfully completed the liner’s outward journey to New York, he was still serving in the same capacity when she left New York in the early afternoon of the 1st May 1915.
Six days later, on the afternoon of the 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20, twelve miles off The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland and sank only eighteen minutes later. At that stage of her voyage, she was a mere twelve or fourteen hours away from her Liverpool destination.
Francis Hagan survived this action; however, and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown, from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool. Once there, at the offices of Cunard in Water Street, he was paid the balance of wages owed to him in respect of his service on board the liner, which was reckoned from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the great ship had foundered.
By this time, he was residing with his sister, Mrs. Georgina Winters, and her family at 87. Ponsonby Street, Liverpool.
On the 11th June 1918, he enlisted as 110173 Private Francis Hagan, 1st Bn. King’s Liverpool Regiment, and following his basic training was sent to France in late October 1918. Shortly after his arrival, the war ended, and he marched to Germany as part of the occupying forces; however, his military service ended abruptly when he fell victim to the great influenza epidemic sweeping Europe at that time and was hospitalised in a military field hospital in Boulogne, France, before being transferred back to England where he spent time in a number of hospitals. He was discharged from the army in late 1919 with permanent damage to his lungs following his illness.
Francis Hagan returned to his profession of waiter on ocean-going liners, until he died at the relatively young age of 47 years at Southampton, Hampshire, England, on the 16th November 1931. His address at the time of his death was 23. The Polygon, Southampton. He was buried in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton, Hampshire, in Section M9, Plot 67.
On the 5th April 1934, administration of his estate was granted to his sister, Georgina Winters, who was married to a William Winters, and his effects amounted to £94-4s.-3d. (£94.21p.).
Official Cunard records published in March 1916 spell Francis Hagan’s surname of Hagen, but this was an error.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, UK British Army World War I Service Records 1914 – 1920, Probate Records, PRO BT 348, PRO BT 350, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 28th December 2023.