Henry McKenzie was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 8th January 1891, the son of John Cadenhead and Margaret McKenzie (née Bickford). His father was a dock gatekeeper, and later a pier master, and Henry was one of seven children in the family.
On completing his education, he joined the British Mercantile Marine as a waiter and steward on passenger liners operating out of the port of Liverpool.
On the 16th August 1914, he married Agnes Hayes in Liverpool, and the couple would have three children – Agnes, born in 1915, Kenneth, born in 1918, and Henry, born in 1921.
Henry McKenzie engaged as a night watchman in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool on the 12th April 1915 and reported for duty on board, on the morning of the 17th April before the liner left Princes Landing stage at Liverpool for the very last time.
Three weeks later, after the liner was torpedoed, he was forced into the sea and swam around for two and a half hours before he managed to reach an overturned lifeboat. With eight or nine others, he managed to cling to this until he was eventually rescued by a fishing trawler, which eventually landed him at Queenstown.
When he eventually reached Liverpool, he was officially discharged from the Lusitania’s final voyage and paid the balance of wages owing to him. In keeping with all the crew, his wages were calculated for the period of the voyage, which was reckoned to be from the 17th April 1915 until the 8th May, 24 hours after the ship foundered.
Henry McKenzie continued to serve in the Mercantile Marine for the remainder of his
life, mainly with the Cunard Steam Ship Company.
When the trans-Atlantic liners re-located to Southampton, Hampshire, Henry and his family moved there so that he could continue to work on them. The family resided at 16. Prince of Wales Avenue, and later at 9. Banister Grange, Banister Road, Southampton.
It is not known when he joined the crew of the Queen Mary, but he served on this liner for many years, serving as a first class bedroom steward, until he died of a cerebral haemorrhage on board while off the coast of western Africa on the 30th September 1958, aged 67 years. Probate of his estate was granted to his youngest son, Henry, at Winchester on the 8th December 1958. He left an estate of £1,831-5s.-10d. (£1,831.29p.).
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1933, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of |England, 1939 Register, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Lancashire Daily Post, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 350, PRO BT 351/193964, PRO BT 364, 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 2025.