Alfred ‘Alf’ Jones was born in Wrexham, Denbighshire, North Wales, on the 28th March 1879, the son of William Jebb and Mary Ellen Jones (née Clarke). He was one of seven children, and his father worked as a French polisher.
His father died in 1888, and after leaving school, Alf found work as a barman. He eventually went to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, in search of work.
On the 10th May 1908, he married Eliza McGreevy at St. Bridget’s Church, Wavertree, Liverpool, Lancashire, and they set up home at 3, Banner Street, Wavertree. They eventually had three children, Alice Nancy, who was born in May 1910, Alfred Glynne, born in January 1912, and Kenneth, born in November 1914.
At some point after his marriage, Alf joined the Mercantile Marine as a steward on passenger ships, and on the 12th April 1915, at Liverpool, he engaged as a night watchman in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania. His monthly wage was £4-5s.-0d. (£4.25p.). He reported for duty five days later on the morning the vessel left Merseyside for the last time, but it was not his first voyage on the liner.
He was killed three weeks later on the afternoon of the 7th May when she was torpedoed and sunk, six days out of New York on her return leg to Liverpool, by the German submarine U-20. At that stage of her voyage, she was only about 250 miles away from her home port.
As his body was not amongst those recovered and identified afterwards, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 36 years, although he gave his age on engagement as 33.
In August 1915, he was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and his widow, Eliza, was paid the balance of wages owed to him, in respect of his service on board the Lusitania from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had gone down! In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted her a yearly pension to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £64-5s.-9d. (£64.28p.) which was payable at the rate of £5-7s.-2d. (£5.36p.) per month.
By the time that the Tower Hill Memorial register had been compiled in 1928, Eliza Jones had moved to 17, Bartlett Street, Wavertree, Liverpool 15. She died on the 10th May 1955, almost exactly 40 years after her husband, aged 78 years.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Denbighshire Wales Anglican Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials 1556 – 1994, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages 1754 – 1935, 1881 Census of Wales, 1891 Census of Wales, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of Wales, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/71938, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 23rd January 2024.