Fireman John Coyle was born in Dublin on 22nd January 1879, son of John and Mary and second eldest of 6 children. As a boy, he and his younger brother Thomas worked as deck hands, but also took work when they could with Cartwrights and Coopers around the docks. When John was old enough he worked on merchant vessels.
In 1903 he married Catherine Walsh in St Mary’s Cathedral, Dublin and they had four children. Catherine’s father at that time captained a merchant vessel out of Liverpool, so it was decided John would move with his family to work with his father in law in Liverpool. He later joined the Navy, spending some time in Chatham, Kent but settled in Liverpool. After serving on other ships, he ultimately joined the Laurentic.
He is interred at St Mura’s Churchyard in Fahan and commemorated in the Merseyside Roll of Honour.