Robert Henry Duncan was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 8th November
1880, the son of Thomas and Ann Duncan (née Mitchell). His father was a marine engineer and Robert was one of nine children in the family.
He became a professional marine engineer, like his father, having first been apprenticed to the firm of ‘Jackie’ Jones of Liverpool. Following this, he joined the shore staff of The Cunard Steam Ship Company. He then secured a position with The White Star Line, serving on the liners Germanic, Teutonic, Cedric, and Victorian. After three years’ service, he re-joined Cunard and secured his chief engineer’s certificate, serving on the Campania as steering gear engineer. He then joined the Lusitania for the first time and served on her for four years.
On the 29th April 1907, he married Ellen Edmondson in Liverpool, and lived at 105, Chatsworth Avenue, Walton, Liverpool.
After this first term of service, he moved to London and sailed out of there for Cunard on the steamers Ascania and Ausonia before returning to Liverpool to join the Lusitania once more as First Senior Third Engineer.
It was in this capacity that he engaged, for the last time, on the liner at Liverpool on the 12th April 1915 at a monthly rate of pay of £16-0s.-0d. He reported for duty on the morning of the 17th April 1915, before the ‘greyhound of the seas’, left her home port for the very last time to cross the Atlantic Ocean to New York.
Three weeks later, he was still serving in the same capacity when the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine, U-20, ten miles off the southern Irish coast and only hours away from Liverpool.
He survived the sinking and having been rescued from the sea was landed at Queenstown, from where he eventually got back to Liverpool. Once there, he was officially discharged from the Lusitania’s final voyage and paid the balance of wages owing to him in respect of it. This amounted to £12-11s.-10d. (£12.59.) and was in respect of his service from the 17th April 1915 until the 8th May 1915, 24 hours after the great liner had foundered.
He continued to serve in the Mercantile Marine for the remainder of his working life, attaining the rank of Chief Engineer.
Robert and Ellen Duncan had four children and lived at Chatsworth Avenue for many years before they moved to 5. Wasdale Road, Orrell Park, Liverpool.
Robert Henry Duncan died in Liverpool on the 1st October 1943, aged 62 years. At that time, the Duncan family were still residing at 5. Wasdale Road, Orrell Park, Liverpool.
He was buried on the 5th October 1943 in Kirkdale Cemetery in Section 3, Grave 5, and on the 29th October 1943, administration of his estate, which amounted to £438-7s.-0d. (£438.35p.) was granted to his widow, Ellen.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, England and Scotland Select Cemetery Records 1800 – 2016, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, 1921 Census of England, 1939 Register, Cunard Records, UK Campaign Medals Awarded to World War I Merchant Seamen 1914 – 1925, Marine Engineers’ Association Journal, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 350, PRO BT 351/1/39046, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 26th March 2023.