Ronald Denyer was born in Hambledon, Surrey, England on the 15th February 1885, the son of John and Mary Denyer of Woodlands Hill, Hambledon, Godalming, Surrey, England. His father was a farm labourer, who died when Ronald was aged two years, so Ronald and his older siblings began their working lives at very young ages.
Having served in various domestic capacities, including being page-boy to Lieutenant Colonel G.R. Hadaway of Chiddingford, Surrey, in 1910, he entered the service of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, the American multi-millionaire, as his personal valet.
He was still serving in this capacity on 1st May 1915, and on this date, sailed with his master (with ticket number 46032), as a saloon passenger on the Lusitania's final voyage out of New York. He was allocated room B62 which he shared with George Slingsby, who was valet to fellow saloon passenger Sir Frederick Orr-Lewis. The room was the personal responsibility of First Class Waiter John Roach, who came from Liverpool and was acting as a first class bedroom steward on what became the ship’s final crossing of the Atlantic. Mr. Vanderbilt’s room was B65, just across the corridor.
According to an article in The Daily Telegraph, published after the sinking, second cabin passenger Ethel Lines from Toronto, Canada paid glowing tribute to both Alfred Vanderbilt and Ronald Denyer. She stated: -
When death was near, Mr. Vanderbilt showed a gallantry which no words of mine could describe. He stood beside the palm saloon on the starboard side, with Ronald Denyer by his side. He looked round on the scene of slaughter and despair with pitying eyes. "Find all the kiddies you can", he said to his valet, and Denyer rushed off immediately, collecting all the children he could and bringing them to the millionaire. Mr. Vanderbilt dashed to the boats with two little ones in his arms each journey. When he could find no more children he went to the assistance of women and placed as many as he could in safety. In his work he was gallantly assisted by Ronald Denyer and the two continued their efforts until the end.
Both Vanderbilt and Denyer were killed when the Lusitania finally sank. Robert Denyer was aged 30 years. Neither his nor his master's body were ever recovered and identified afterwards, despite exhaustive searches - especially for that of the latter!
When Robert Denyer's will was proven in London on 27th July 1915, administration was granted to his mother and his effects amounted to £971-9s-0d, (£971-45p).
A list of passengers and crew published by Cunard in March 1916 states that he was a United States Citizen, but it would appear this was an error as he was a British subject.
First Class Waiter John Roach survived the sinking and eventually returned to his Liverpool home.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Surrey England Church of England Baptisms 1813 – 1917, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Daily Telegraph, Surrey Advertiser and County Times, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/19, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.