Peter Doyle was born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland, on the 18th December 1882, the son of Laurence and Anne Doyle (née Hayes). His father was a carpenter and cooper, and Peter was one of thirteen children in the family.
Sometime in the early 1900’s, the Doyle family moved to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, where they lived for a time at 16. Westmoreland Street, but by 1915, they were residing at 368. Vauxhall Road, Liverpool.
On the 25th November 1906, Peter Doyle married Bridget Kelly in Liverpool, and they lived at 70, Dryden Street, Liverpool. They had a least two children; however, their eldest child died in infancy. They had a son named Patrick, who was born on the 5th November 1914.
In April 1915, Peter Doyle and his eldest brother, John, engaged as firemen in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool, at a monthly rate of pay of £6-10s.-0d. (£6.50p.), £1-0s.-0d. of which was advanced to them at the time. They reported for duty early on the morning of the 17th April; in time for the vessels last ever voyage out of the River Mersey. Peter was engaged as a Leading Fireman, while his brother was engaged as an ordinary Fireman.
Three weeks later, both Peter and John Doyle were killed when the Cunarder was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her
home port. Peter Doyle was aged 32 years and his brother, John, aged 35 years. Neither of their bodies were recovered and identified afterwards and as a consequence, they are commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial to The Missing, at Tower Hill, London.
The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to Bridget Doyle to compensate her for the loss of her husband. This amounted to £38-2s.-3d. (£38.11p.) which was payable at the rate of £3-3s.-7d. (£3.17p.) per month.
In late 1918, his widow married a man named William John Hill, and they lived for a time at 9. Rachel Street, Liverpool.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, Liverpool Echo, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/38040, UniLiv PR 13/24, 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 March 2023.