George Edward William Harries was born in the civil parish of Pancras, London,
Middlesex, England, on the 17th July 1884, the son of George Edward and Jane Harries (née Cashin), who, in 1915, lived at 72, Grove Lance, Camberwell, London S.E.. He was the eldest of four children in the family and his father was a card maker.
His birth certificate states that his surname was HARRIS, which is the English spelling of his Welsh surname, and it would appear that he used both versions of his surname throughout his life.
George worked as a barman and restaurant waiter before emigrating to the United States of America and settling in New York City. On the 31st May 1912, he was married to Mary Margaret McDonald and the couple eventually resided at 615, Hudson Street, New York City, New York. In view of his home address, it is likely that he had worked on the trans-Atlantic crossing for some time. His wife had been born in 1885 in Gowran, County Kilkenny, Ireland, the daughter of John and Ann McDonald, (née Tracey).
George Harries joined the Mercantile Marine as a waiter but was quite versatile in that he could perform in a number of roles, such as bartending, stewarding, and baking. In April 1915, he had engaged on the Anchor Liner the S.S. Cameronia for a voyage to England. At the end of the month, however, the vessel was requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service and the passengers and cargo and some of the crew were transferred to the Lusitania. Thus, on the 1st May, he engaged as an assistant baker in the Stewards' Department for the Lusitania's final voyage across the Atlantic. His monthly wage rate was £3-15s.-0d. (£3.75p.).
It was to prove a tragic decision for him, as he was killed when she was torpedoed and sunk, six days later, when she was only hours away from her Liverpool home port and just twelve miles off the southern Irish coast! He was aged 30 years.
There may have been confusion over whether or not his body was recovered afterwards, because on the 19th May 1915, Cunard received a cable from New York which asked: -
"WHO CLAIMED BURIED REMAINS GEORGE HARRIES (BAKER)"
The reply from Queenstown the following day simply stated: -
"CANNOT TRACE GEORGE HARRIES' BAKER BODY"
On the same day that the cable was sent, Mary Harries wrote to Cunard’s solicitors in Liverpool, Hill, Dickinson and Co. Ltd., stating that she intended to leave New York for Liverpool on the S.S. Orduña on the 22nd July, and she intended to make for the London home of her in-laws. Presumably, the point of the letter was so that she could be contacted if any news was discovered about her husband’s fate.
His body never was found and identified, however and consequently he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
In August 1915, his widow Mary was paid the residue of wages owed to him in respect of his service on the Lusitania, from the 1st May 1915 until the 8th May - 24 hours after the ship had foundered. In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited also granted a yearly pension to Mary Harries to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £25-9s.-11d. (£25.49½p.) which was payable at the rate of £6-7s.-6d. (£6.37½p.) per quarter.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission records show his rank as that of waiter, but a Cunard crew list published in March 1916 and the telegrams sent at the time of the sinking show his status to be that of assistant baker. The records also state erroneously that he was born in Pembroke, Wales.
By the time that the Tower Hill register was compiled, his widow Mary had moved to 41, Horatio Street, New York.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, London England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1923, New York U.S. Marriage License Indexes 1907 – 2018, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, London England School Admissions and Discharges 1840 – 1911, UniLiv. D92/1/6, UniLiv. PR13/6, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 2nd January 2024.