Robert Nelson Jessop was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, in 1886, the son of John William and Emily Jessop (née Hutchinson). His father was a butcher and Robert joined the Mercantile Marine as a ship’s steward on completion of his education.
He married Helena Ione Ida Warrington in Liverpool on the 21st March 1910, and they lived at 46, Thornton Road, Bootle, Lancashire. They had one child, a daughter named Olive Maud Ethel, born in 1911.
He was engaged as a second cabin bedroom steward in the Stewards' Department on board the Lusitania and did not survive the sinking, nor was his body recovered and identified afterwards.
As a consequence, his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine Memorial at Tower Hill, London. He was aged 29 years.
In August 1915, he was officially discharged from the last voyage of the Lusitania and his widow, Helena, was paid the balance of wages owed to him, in respect of his service on board the Lusitania 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 her a yearly pension to compensate her for the loss of her husband which amounted to £45-2s.-3d. (£42.11p.) which was payable at the rate of £3-15s.-3d. (£3.76p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1935, 1891 Census of
England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Liverpool England Crew Lists 1861 – 1919, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, UniLiv. PR 13/24, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 351/1/70596, Deaths at Sea 1871, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 22nd January 2024.