Robert Evans was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 24th August 1894, the son of Robert and Mary Ann Evans (née Percival). His father was a butcher and Robert was one of ten children. The family resided at Pembroke Place, Liverpool, before moving to Sun Street, and later 27. Moon Street.
Robert Evans found employment as a labourer, and sometimes as a trimmer on steam ships after finishing his education.
On the 14th February 1915, he married Esther Hyland at the Parish Church, Liverpool.
The couple lived with Robert’s parents.
Robert Evans engaged as a trimmer in the Engineering Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool, on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly rate of pay of £6-0s.-0d. Upon engagement, he was granted an advance on his wages of £1-0s.-0d.
He reported for duty at 8 a.m. on the 17th April, the day the vessel left the River Mersey for the last time. His previous ship had been the Irishman.
He survived the sinking three weeks later, and having been rescued from the sea, he was landed at Queenstown from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool.
Once there, he was officially discharged from the Lusitania’s last voyage and given the balance of wages owing to him, which amounted to £4-6s.-4d., (£4.32p.). This was in respect of his sea service from the 17th April until the 8th May 1915, 24 hours after the ship had gone down.
In June 1915, Robert and his wife welcomed their fist child, a son named Thomas Robert. They had two more sons – Peter, born in 1917, and Stanley, born in 1920.
Robert Evans continued to serve in the Mercantile Marine, but on the 12th February 1918, he enlisted in the British Army. Curiously, he gave his address as the Pacific Hotel, San Francisco, California, in the United States of America, and he enlisted in Chicago, Illinois! As R.600467 Sapper Robert Evans, he was assigned to the Inland Waterways & Docks Section of the Royal Engineers and sent to Richborough, Kent, England, within days of enlisting. A major harbour had been constructed at Richborough to provide heavy equipment and other supplies to the British Expeditionary Force in France, and it is likely that he was assigned to the harbour in relation to this work.
After the war ended, Robert Evans returned to the sea, and by 1939, he and his wife were residing at 32. Crown Street, Liverpool. They later moved to 40. Myrtle Gardens, Edge Hill, Liverpool
On the 15th March 1969, Robert Evans died in a Liverpool hospital, aged 74 years. He was buried in Anfield Cemetery on the 20th March.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Baptisms 1813 – 1919, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, England & Scotland Select Cemetery Registers 1800 – 2022, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, California Passenger Lists 1882 – 1959, Cunard Records, UK British Army World War I Service |Records 1914 – 1920, Liverpool Echo, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 350, PRO BT 351/1/42477, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 7th November 2023.