William Robert Busvine was born in Holloway, London, England, in 1880, the son of John and Margaret (née Couling) Busvine. His father was a tailor by profession, and on completion of his education, William joined his father’s business, named John Busvine & Co., and by 1911, William was running the business, his father having died in 1909. The company specialised in the manufacturing of ladies clothing, and stated that they were “Tailors and Riding Habit Makers to the Royal Family and the Courts of Europe”!.
On the 17th June 1911, he married Dorothy Pleasance Wyman-Smart at the Parish Church of St. George Hanover Square, London, and they lived at 4, Brook Street, London, England, from where he also ran his business.
The couple had one child, a son born in 1912, named James Ronald.
William Busvine first travelled to the United States of America on business in 1914 when he boarded the
Campania at Liverpool on the 26th September, disembarking in New York on the 4th October.
He made his second journey on the 3rd March 1915, sailing to New York from Liverpool on the
Arabic. For his return to London, he booked second cabin passage on the
Lusitania from New York to Liverpool on the sailing which left the Cunard berth in New York harbour on the early afternoon of 1st May 1915, after a delayed start. This delay was caused because the Cunarder had to embark passengers some crew and some cargo from the Anchor Lines ship Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned as a troop ship at the end of April.
Six days later, he was killed after the ship was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20, within sight of the Irish coast and only hours away from her home port and destination.
His body was recovered from the sea, however and landed at Queenstown, where it was given the reference number 18, before it was positively identified - probably in the temporary mortuary set up in the yard of the Cunard office at Lynch‘s Quay. Then, on 13th May 1915, it was taken to The Jewish Cemetery, Mount Desert, Cork City, County Cork, where it was buried by The Jewish Burial Society and where it lies today. He was aged 35 years.
Local newspaper The Cork Examiner reported on 14th May: -
Last evening, the funeral of two took place in Cork. The remains were conveyed by road to Queenstown and were met at the Tivoli station by the Jewish community in Cork, who followed the remains to their last resting place at Mount Desert. The cortege was of imposing dimensions and reflected the deep sympathy felt for the victims in Cork.
Property found on his body was handed over to his brother Ernest Busvine, of Wood House, North Finchley and 4 Brook Street, London, at Queenstown.
When his will was proven on 2nd October 1915 at London, administration was granted to his widow and his effects amounted to £6,818-8s-4d., (£6,818.42p).
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cork Examiner, Cunard Records, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/86, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.