Robert Fairclough was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 24th May 1877, the son of Robert and Martha Fairclough (née Cearns). His father was a labourer and his mother sometimes found work as an office cleaner. Robert was the eldest of five known children who survived childhood in the family, but it is believed he had at least three more siblings who died while very young.
Even though he was born in 1877, Robert Fairclough on occasions gave his year of birth as 1873 and 1881, and sometimes styled his name after his marriage as “Robert Patrick Fairclough”, although “Patrick” did not appear on his birth or baptismal records.
On the 28th November 1900, Robert Fairclough married Mary Coffey and at that time both were living in tenement flats on Silvester Street, Liverpool. The couple would have ten children, and in 1915, the family lived at 2 Court, 3 House, Barwise Street, Liverpool.
From at least 1903, Robert Fairclough was serving as a professional seaman in the British Mercantile Marine, employed as a fireman or greaser on steam ships and he mainly found employment with the Cunard Steam Ship Company Limited.
On the 12th April 1915, he signed on at Liverpool as a donkeyman in the Engineering Branch of the Lusitania for what would be her final voyage, at a monthly wage of £7-0s.-0d. Upon signing, he was granted an advance on his wages of £1-0s.-0d. and he reported for duty at 8 a.m. on the 17th April, the day the liner left Liverpool for the last time.
Having safely reached New York, he was still on board when the liner began her return journey on the 1st May. When the Lusitania was intercepted and sunk off the southern coast of Ireland on the afternoon of the 7th |May, he survived the sinking, and after being landed at Queenstown, he eventually made his way back to Liverpool. Undeterred by his ordeal, he continued to serve on trans-Atlantic liners for many years after.
In August 1917, Robert Fairclough was “called up” for military service, and as WR 312881 Sapper R. Fairclough, he was assigned to the Inland Waterways & Docks Section of the Royal Engineers and initially sent to Woolwich, southeast London. He
later served in Glasgow and Bristol, but it does not appear that he was sent overseas.
By the time he served in the Royal Engineers, he appears to have been estranged from his wife and he did not record her name in his enlistment papers and gave the name of one of his daughters as his next-of-kin, and, after being demobilised in 1919, he went to live with his widowed sister, Mrs. Sarah Williams and her two children at 13. Ruth Street, Everton Crescent, Liverpool. At least two of his children also resided here.
Robert Fairclough continued to serve on trans-Atlantic liners until at least 1937, mainly serving as a storekeeper in the engineering department, but occasionally as a donkeyman, greaser, or fireman.
On the 30th January 1939, Robert Fairclough died, aged 61 years, and he was buried in Anfield Cemetery. His residence at the time of his death was 266. Victoria Square, Liverpool, and it would appear that he had been reconciled with his wife by the time of his death as she was residing at the same address.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Baptisms 1813 – 1919, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, Liverpool England Catholic Burials 1813 – 1985, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 349, PRO BT 350, PRO BT 351/1/43051, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 9th November 2023.