Although no record can be found, Patrick Vincent McGinley is believed to have been born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland, on the 17th March 1883, the son of Edward and Ellen McGinley (née Harkin). At the time of his birth, his father was a general storekeeper, but later specialized in alcoholic spirits, and then became an excise man.
Sometime in the later nineteenth century, the family moved to 233, Albertbridge Road, Belfast.
Patrick was one of eleven children, although by 1911, only Patrick and three of his siblings were still alive. He was a school teacher by profession, and unmarried.
On 15th April 1910, accompanied by his sister, Rose Ellen, he arrived in New York in the United States of America, from Liverpool, on board the Lusitania. His sister subsequently married a United States citizen named Murray, but whether she went to New York with the intention of marrying him, or whether she met him there, is not known.
Patrick resided at 215. West 106th Street, New York City, but it is not known who else resided there with him. Shortly after arriving in New York City he applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, but it is not thought that he ever became naturalized.
In the spring of 1915, having decided to return home to Belfast, Patrick McGinley booked a second cabin passage from New York to Liverpool, on the May sailing of the ship which had brought him to America in the first place, which was scheduled to leave the Cunard berth at Pier 54 at 10.00 on 1st May.
His sister had decided to travel to Belfast with him, and after they had boarded, they had to wait, along with all the other passengers and crew, until 12.27 p.m., until the liner actually sailed. This was because she had to load cargo and take on board passengers and crew from Anchor Liner the S.S. Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned as a troop ship.
Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania 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.
After she was struck, Patrick McGinley managed to get a lifebelt for himself and his sister and they then got into a lifeboat. This unfortunately capsized and they were both thrown into the sea and dragged down by the vortex when the Lusitania sank.
When Patrick McGinley came to the surface, he could find no trace of his sister and after swimming around for some time he was dragged aboard another lifeboat. It was this lifeboat which picked Lady Allen from the sea, who had a broken arm, sustained in the sinking.
Eventually, he was landed at Queenstown where he found shelter at Cavanagh's Hotel for the night. Next morning, fearing the worst, he toured the temporary mortuaries seeking his sister's corpse, but to no avail, and he then decided to try and buy some clothes to replace those he had lost. Quite by chance, on his way to the shop, he met his sister in the street and their reunion was naturally one of great joy!
Whilst still at Queenstown, he gave an interview to the international press which was syndicated throughout the world, in which he stated that he had actually seen the fatal torpedo fired. He also said: -
My sister was with me. We got separated and I thought her lost but met her today in Queenstown. The submarine was about 400 yards from us. I saw the periscope first and then the turret, and then it disappeared quickly and we were struck by the torpedo. When we got to the lifeboats first, I took a child with me - just grabbed it as I went. We were ordered out of the lifeboat and told everything was safe. A few minutes after, we were hit by the second torpedo.
I sank with the ship, clinging to the wreckage, and was picked up after two hours by the trawler 'Caterina' (sic). The people were flinging themselves off from the ship in all directions as she was breaking up and sinking.
Mr. McGinley was mistaken about two things. The log of the German submarine U-20 confirms that at no time did the submarine surface either before or after the sinking and the secondary explosion was not caused by a second torpedo, but rather, by an internal explosion, most likely the boilers. Nevertheless, quite a few passengers claimed to have seen the submarine on the surface and some even claimed that the crew spoke to them as they were struggling in the water! Many others also thought that the second explosion was caused by a second torpedo.
Similarly, Patrick McGinley was mistaken about the name of his rescue ship. His rescue ship was named Katerina supposedly a Greek registered ‘tramp’ steamer, too large to have been considered a “trawler”. In fact, she was not even Greek, but was the Hopkins and Jones steamer Westborough, outward bound from Havana, Cuba, with a cargo of sugar and had been diverted from Queenstown, where she intended to re-coal, to seek survivors. Her master, Captain E.L. Taylor had deliberately disguised her as a Greek merchant ship, renaming her Katerina and even flying a Greek flag, in the hope that German U-Boats would respect her supposed neutral status!
From Queenstown, he and his sister were eventually able to get back to their native Belfast. He was aged 32 years at the time of his ordeal.
Not long after his return, Patrick McGinley applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund, for financial help. This fund had been set up after the liner had gone down, by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local business dignitaries to help second and third class passenger survivors and the relatives of those who had perished, who had come upon hard times as a result of the sinking. It was thought that saloon class passengers were wealthy enough not to need help and each claim was met on its merits.
The awards committee ultimately granted him an award of £3-0s-0d., administered through the Lord Mayor of Belfast, to replace clothing he had lost in the sinking.
In late October 1915, Patrick McGinley received a letter from Mostyn Prichard, whose brother, Richard Preston Prichard, had also been a second class passenger on the Lusitania, and who was presumed lost. His mother, Margaret Prichard, and his brother, Mostyn, wrote to all the survivors they could obtain addresses for, seeking any information about him. Patrick McGinley replied: -
233. Albert Bridge Road.
Belfast
November 3rd ‘15
Mostyn Prichard Esq.
Dear Sir,
I am sorry I didn’t have an opportunity of answering your letter, dated October 30th. ‘ere now, as I was out of town and only got back this morning, when I received your letter, with photo and description of your son enclosed. My sister, Mrs. C Murray and myself were two Second Cabin Passengers on board the ill-fated ship. Though your dear son’s face is familiar to both of us, neither of us had the pleasure at any time during the voyage of becoming personally acquainted with him. I was picked up with about forty others, after being four hours in the water, by an old “Tramp Steamer” called the “Katrina” (sic.) which was flying the Greek flag and was bound from Havana, Cuba, to Liverpool with a cargo of sugar.
She was really a British ship and assumed the name “Katrina” (sic.) and flew the “Greek flag” in order to evade the submarines.
I had the satisfaction of saving several “lives”, including Lady Allan, who unfortunately lost her two beautiful daughters, and Miss Rita Jolivet – Principal or leading lady in Seymour Hicks’ Coy. Broadway (???).
My sister Mrs. Murray was picked up unconscious whilst clinging to an oar by one of the ship’s lifeboats after being one hour in the water.
Each of us thought the other was lost, until we met on the street next morning in Queenstown, needless to say it was a joyful meeting.
I did not see the “Indian Empire” which you refer to.
I know a few Second Cabin Survivors, with whom I became acquainted with on board but I don’t know their addresses. Their names are, Mr. Glancy, Belfast. Mr. Patrick O’Donnell of Dunloe, Co. Donegal and Dr. Harold (sic.) Fisher of Washington D.C.
The Cunard S.S. Co. should be able to furnish you with the names and addresses of all the survivors.
I think the best thing for you to do under the circumstances would be to have a type written copy of your letter with photo of your son enclosed sent to each and every one of the survivors whose names I have no doubt the Cunard Coy. will supply you with, by this means you will probably obtain some information re. your son.
Find out especially who were the other occupants of state room “D.90” and if they survived the
I am sorry I cannot give you any information about your son further than to say his face is very familiar to me, which information is very vague indeed.
The suspense and doubt as to the fate of your son is undoubtedly a great source of sorrow to yourself and family and I beg of you, to please accept my most heartfelt sympathy.
Yours (In Sympathy),
Patrick V. McGinley.
Despite the efforts of the Prichard family and the advice offered to them by Patrick McGinley, no trace of Richard Preston Prichard was ever found.
On the 7th July 1920, Patrick McGinley married Lillian Moorcroft in Belfast, and the couple had one son – Patrick Vincent, who was born in 1935. By this time, the family had moved to Scotland.
Patrick McGinley died in Cathcart, Renfrewshire, on the 3rd January 1951, aged 77 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, IWM GB62, Brighton Gazette, Belfast Telegraph, Northern Whig, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.