John George Kent was born in Flixton, Suffolk, England, in 1873, the son of John and Susannah Kent (née Brighton). His father was a labourer, and John was the youngest of two children, having an older sister named Emily.
His mother died in 1876, after which his father married Christiana Head in 1877 and had another five children.
After completing his schooling, John Kent became a page at Geldeston Lodge, Geldeston, Norfolk, the home of Edmund B. Thornhill, who was a retired judge, and his family. After leaving this position he joined the Mercantile Marine as a ship’s steward.
On the 15th January 1901, he married Celine Adrienne Steding in Norwich, Norfolk, and at the end of that year, Celine gave birth to their only child, a son named George Frederick. In 1915, the family home was at 84, Earlsfield Road, Wavertree, Liverpool, Lancashire.
He engaged as a lounge steward 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.). He reported for duty at 7 a.m. five days later, before the liner left the River Mersey for the last ever time. He had served on the liner previously to that voyage.
Having completed the Lusitania’s cross Atlantic voyage to New York, Steward Kent was on board her when she left there in the early afternoon of the 1st May 1915, to commence her return journey to Liverpool - still serving in the same capacity.
Six days later, on the afternoon of the 7th May, the liner 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.
John Kent was unfortunately killed as a result of this action and as his body was not recovered and identified afterwards, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial to the Missing, at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 41 years.
On the 9th July 1915, administration of his estate was granted to his widow Celine and his effects amounted to £334-0s.-0d., quite a large amount for an ordinary steward in 1915! In August of the same year, Celine Kent was also paid the balance of wages still owed to him by The Cunard Steam Ship Company. In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted Celine Kent an annual pension to compensate her for the loss of her husband. This amounted to £42-9s.-8d. (£42.48½p.) which was payable at the rate of £3-12s.-6d. (£3.62½p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Norfolk England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1938, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Probate Records, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/76207, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, David Irving, Robert O'Brien, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 8th February 2024.