Jose Ulgar Leon was born in Spain in 1887, the son of Don and Doña Jose Ulgar Gonzalez, of Fabrica de la Cartuja, Seville, Spain. Fabrica de la Cartuja is a world-renowned ceramic manufacturing company, still in existence today, and it is likely that his father was an
employee or manager there.
Nothing is known of his life, or when he first came to England, but in 1911, he was employed as a cook in the Midland Hotel, Soho, London.
He was employed as the Sauce Cook in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania and lost his life when she was sunk. His body was not recovered and identified afterwards. He was aged 28 years.
As he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
Cunard records published in March 1916, list him as Jean Ulgar and it may be that he either used this name at the time, or a mistake was made when he engaged. Similarly, the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission show his rank to be that of cook, but he appears on the Cunard crew list, probably a more reliable source for actual jobs/ranks on board, as Sauce Cook.
1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, PRO BT 100/345, 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 – 3rd March 2024.