Samuel Leathers was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on the 19th November 1884, the son of Peter and Mary Ellen Leathers (née Johnson). He was the eldest of two children, having a younger brother named William, and his father worked as an oil miller.
His father died in 1900, and his mother remarried in 1905 and had a further three children. It was around this time that Samuel worked as a labourer and then joined the Mercantile Marine as a trimmer and fireman in the engine rooms of steam ships.
He married Isabella Hislop in Liverpool in late 1902 and they lived at 9, Fulford Street, Liverpool. Isabella had been a next-door neighbour of Samuel at Arlington Street, Liverpool. The couple had seven children, although two of them died in infancy.
He served as a leading fireman in the Engineering Department on board the final voyage of the Lusitania and was killed when she was sunk. He was aged 30 years.
His body was not recovered and identified afterwards and as a consequence, his name is embossed on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
In August 1915, Isabella Leathers was given the balance of wages owed to her husband in respect of his service before the vessel sank. This was reckoned from the 17th April until the 8th May, 1915, 24 hours after the Lusitania had gone down. In addition, The Liverpool and London War Risks Insurance Association Limited granted her an annual pension to compensate her for the loss of her husband. This amounted to £70-6s.-11d. (£70.34½p.) which was payable at the rate of £5-17s.-3d. (£5.86p.) per month.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, 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 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/80763, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 27th February 2024.