Thomas Malone was born at Liverpool, Lancashire, on the 27th July 1854, the son of Thomas and Mary Malone (née McCaul). He was the eldest of two known children in the family, having a younger sister named Martha, and his father was a dock labourer.
After leaving school, he went to sea and qualified as an able bodied seaman in the Mercantile Marine.
On the 9th February 1875, he married Mary Hayes, and they it is thought that they had at least five children.
In September 1911, his wife died, and by 1915, he resided at 132. Burlington Street, Liverpool.
He engaged as an able seaman in the Deck Department on board the Lusitania at Liverpool on the 12th April 1915, at a monthly rate of pay of £5-10s.-0d. (£5.50p.), £1-10s.-0d. (£1.50p.) of which was advanced to him at the time. He reported for duty on board the vessel on which he had previously served, at 7 a.m. on the 17th April, in time for her last exit from the River Mersey.
Three weeks later, having served on her voyage to New York, he was killed when she was torpedoed and sunk on the afternoon of the 7th May by the submarine U-20. At that time, the Lusitania was twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her destination. Thomas Malone was aged 60 years.
As his body was never found and identified afterwards, he is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine War Memorial at Tower Hill, London.
In August 1915, his family was given the balance of wages owed to him for the Lusitania’s last ever voyage. This was in respect of his service from the 17th April 1915 until the 8th May - 24 hours after the vessel had foundered!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Catholic Baptisms 1741 – 1919, Liverpool England Catholic Marriages 1754 – 1933, 1861 Census of England, 1871 Census of England, 1881 Census of England, 1891 Census of England, 1901 Census of England, 1911 Census of England, Cunard Records, Commonwealth War Grave Commission, PRO BT 100/345, PRO BT 334, PRO BT 351/1/87445, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
Revised & Updated – 18th April 2024.