Thomas Sumner was born in Over Hulton, near Atherton, Lancashire, England, on the 7th August 1889, the son of Robert and Alice Sumner (née Whittle). He was the eldest of five children and his father was a general labourer.
Thomas became an electrician working in one of the local collieries, until he departed from Liverpool on the Cymric in May 1913. On his arrival in the United States of America, he travelled north to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, where he was secured work.
In May 1914, he travelled south to Quincy, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, where he was employed as an electrician at the Fore River Shipyard. Then, in the spring of 1915, he decided to return to England.
Whether this was though patriotic duty because of the Great War raging in Europe is not known, but it is known that he booked as a second cabin passenger on the May sailing of the Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. He arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the west side of New York, on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for the liner’s scheduled 10. o’clock departure. Once on board, he then had to wait until 12.27 p.m. before the liner actually sailed, because she had to wait to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner the S.S. Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship at the end of April.
Then, six days out of New York on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that time, she was only about 250 miles away from her Liverpool
destination.
Fortunately, Thomas Sumner managed to survive this action, and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, he eventually made it to the home of his uncle at 6. Woodlands, Over Hulton.
While recovering from his ordeal, he received a letter from Mrs. Prichard, whose son Richard Preston Prichard had been another second cabin passenger on the voyage, and of whom no trace had been found. Mrs. Prichard wrote to as many of the survivors as she could obtain addresses for, seeking information about her son. On the 28th October 1915, Thomas Sumner wrote a very sympathetic letter in reply to her: -
Dear Madam,
I received your letter yesterday, and will try to give you all the information I can concerning you (sic.) son. I’m afraid I can’t help you much in tracing him, but as you say our conversations and doings may give you comfort.
I first met him on deck of the Lusitania about an hour before sailing from New York. We were both taking photographs of the harbour and as the day was rather dull, both of us were in doubt about the exposures to make, so in this way we fell into conversation about photography he was using a folding pocket Kodak one of those small ones No. 1 I believe it was. I remember also he said he had a larger one in his box, he carried the smaller one because it was more convenient for his pocket he was such another fellow as myself, as we were both travelling alone we met practically every day, but I can’t after so long a time recollect any particular words he used he always seemed very pleasant and enjoyed himself in very quiet manner – you will understand what I mean, didn’t go about in a rowdy fashion like lots of fellows do when having a time – he took part in the sports, I remember him in the obstacle race and the tug of war. By the way a young lady we both knew took some photographs on board the day before the disaster I am not quite sure now whether your son was in one group or not, the photos were published by the “Daily Mirror” she told me in a letter I received from her on 23rd May. I have not heard from her since but her address was then. Miss Elsie Hardy, 115. Ilford Lane, Ilford, Sussex. I am not sure of this but I know 3 or 4 fellows were in some of the groups she took. I don’t remember seeing him in the wreck, I myself jumped overboard and swam 3 hrs, was on a raft 2 hrs, by which time – 5 hrs after – “The Indian Empire” came along and picked me up. I don’t remember seeing him dead or alive on this boat, nor in Queenstown. I was little the worst for the experience as I moved about quite a lot.
I deeply sympathise with you in your loss, and hope you may find consolation in that he met his end bravely from what I knew of him I have not the least doubt he died bravely. I myself owe my life to the fact that I’m a powerful swimmer and physically strong.
I am sorry I have no more to add, I only hope I have been some service to you.
Yours very truly
Thomas Sumner
Thomas Sumner was either mistaken or had received incorrect information, as no photographs pertaining to the voyage, or the actual sinking of the Lusitania, were ever published and it is unlikely that any photographic film survived, if any members of the crew or passengers had cameras or photographic film in their possession when they left the stricken liner.
It is not known if Thomas Sumner joined the British Army and served during the War, or what he might have done after he reached England, however, on the 20th April 1920, he married Gertrude France in Bolton, Lancashire. On the 1st May 1920, the couple boarded the Carmania at Liverpool, bound for a new life in Canada.
The couple settled in Fort Erie, Ontario, where they had three children – Alice, born in 1921, Alan Thomas, born in 1923, and Aileen Nora, born in 1925. Thomas was employed at the Otis Elevator Company in Buffalo, New York, which necessitated him commuting from his home in Canada, to his place of employment in the United States of America on an almost daily basis! The family home was at 226. High Street, Fort Erie.
Although Thomas Sumner filed a claim for compensation for the loss of his personal effects in the sinking of the Lusitania with the British Reparation Claims Department while he was in England, his case was transferred to the Canadian Commission after he emigrated in 1920. In 1926, the Commission awarded him $664.20, which appears to have been the full amount he claimed.
On the 15th October 1935, Gertrude Sumner died from pneumonia, aged 40 years, leaving Thomas to raise their three children on his own; however, sometime later he married a woman named Zella Elizabeth Spear, although no details of this marriage have been found.
Thomas Sumner died in Fort Erie in 1958, aged 69 years. His remains were interred in McAffee Cemetery, Fort Erie.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Manchester England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1915, Ontario Canada Deaths and Deaths Overseas 1869 – 1948, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, 1921 Census of Canada, U.S. Border Crossings from Canada to U.S. 1895 – 1960, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Canada Ocean Arrivals 1919 – 1924, Cunard Records, Canadian Claims Case No. 870, IWM GB62, Fort Erie Historical Museum, PRO BT 100/345, Graham Maddocks, Jessica Steffler, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.