Thomas Owen Hughes was born in Hope Parish, Flintshire, Wales, in 1873, the son of John and Ellen Hughes (née Jones). He was the youngest of three known children in the family, and his father was a coal miner.
He first found employment in the clothing trade, before joining the Mercantile Marine as an assistant storekeeper.
He married Alice Jones, (née Roberts), in 1902 and they lived at 78, Northgate Street, Chester, Cheshire. Alice was a widow, and ten years senior in age to Thomas. They had no children.
He served as Assistant Storekeeper in the Stewards' Department on board the final voyage of the Lusitania and he was killed when she was sunk. He was aged 42 years.
His body was not found and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
He is also commemorated on the grave of his wife's parents in Overleigh Cemetery, Chester. The inscription, on a white headstone with letters raised from its surface
states: -
THOMAS OWEN HUGHES
SON IN LAW
THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF
ALICE HUGHES
WHO LOST HIS LIFE ON MAY 7 1915
THROUGH THE SINKING
OF THE RMS LUSITANIA
IN THE GREAT WAR
AGED 42 YEARS
Originally, Assistant Storekeeper Hughes' bronze Memorial Plaque was fixed to the gravestone above his inscription, but it has either fallen off or been taken off as there is now just a blank space there and a slight green discolouration on the inscription, where rain had obviously eroded the bronze.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted an annual pension to Alice Hughes to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £19-18s.-9d. (£19.93½p.) which was payable at the rate of £5-19s.-11d. (£5.99½p.) per quarter.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1881 Census of Wales, 1891 Census of Wales, 1901 Census of Wales, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/66686, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Crump, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 17th January 2024.