Richard Conway was born in Bolton, Lancashire, England, in 1883, the son of Peter and Ann Conway (née Morgan). His father was a builder’s plasterer and Richard was the youngest of five known children in the family.
A curious fact is that he had two older brothers named ‘Richard’. The first had been born in 1870 and died in infancy the same year, while the second was born in January 1874 and died in 1878, aged 4 years, therefore Richard was the third son in the family to bear the forename.
While he was still a child, his family moved to Liverpool, Lancashire, and after completing his education, Richard found work making chairs in a furniture factory before he became a professional waiter in the British Mercantile Marine, serving mainly on Cunard liners.
He served as a first class waiter in the Stewards Department on board the final voyage of the Lusitania and was killed when she was sunk. He was aged 32 years, and unmarried.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
In August 1915, the balance of wages owed to him was paid to his family in respect of his service on the Lusitania’s last voyage, which was reckoned to be from the 17th April 1915, until the 8th May, 24 hours after the vessel had gone down! In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted a yearly pension to a Mary H. Johnston which amounted to £46-0s.-0d. (£46.00p.) which was payable at the rate of £11-10s.-0d. (£11.50p.) per quarter. The relationship between Richard Conway and Mary H. Johnston is unknown.
When the records of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission were being compiled after the war, Richard’s father, Peter Conway, was living at 10, Salisbury Road, Liverpool, Lancashire, and his mother was stated to have been deceased.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, Liverpool Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, PRO BT 334, 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 – 15th January 2023.