Stoker 1st Class Alexander McQuade was born in Belfast, the son of William and Martha McQuade (née McClure). His parents married on the 11th of July 1861 in Seapatrick, County Down, Ireland. According to his marriage record Alexander was born in 1864 but his service record states his date of birth as the 18th of…

Engineer Lieutenant Edward Archibald Rice Larmour was born on the 1st of February 1880 in Belfast, the only son of Edward and Annabella Larmour (née Park). When his parents married on the 13th of December 1874 at St Thomas Church, Belfast his father was already a widower. His first wife Hannah Williams was only 27…

Shipwright Ambrose Bolton Laverty was born on the 7th of August 1887 in Hebburn, a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Gateshead. His father was also called Ambrose Laverty and was a riveter from Sunderland. His mother was Hannah…

Boatswain John Smith was born on the 3rd of November 1890 in Vadsgarth, Cunningsburgh, Shetland, the son of Andrew and Annie Smith (née Jarmson). He was the fifth of their ten children. His father was a fisherman and crofter. John was working as a fisherman when he enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve on the…

Charles Bartlett, Petty Officer 1st Class, Royal Navy, was born on the 13th of April 1875 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the eldest of Elizabeth and George Bartlett’s five children. Elizabeth was born in Birmingham in 1845 and George in Bridgwater, Somerset in 1854. In 1881 the Elizabeth and George were living in Wellington St, Clifton Place,…

Engineer-Lieutenant Robert Ririe Mitchell, R.N.R., who lost his life on the Laurentic was the son of William and Jane Mitchell (neé Ririe). He was born St. Nicholas, Aberdeen in 1885 and was one of five children. He served his apprenticeship at the Aberdeen shipyard of Messrs Hall Russell and Co., and held the Board of…

Seaman Arthur Edward White of the Newfoundland RNR, was the son of George and Nellie White of Shalop Cove, St George’s, Newfoundland. He was born on the 14th of July 1890. His body was recovered from the disaster and is buried in St Mura’s Churchyard in Fahan, County Donegal. The Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve was…

Able Seaman Jacob (or John) Lawson Wren, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, was the younger of two children born to Abraham Guthrie Wren and Helen Wren (née Millar) of 5 Grafton Square, Glasgow, later of Newton Inn at Mearns Cross, Newton Mearns. He was born on the 27th of February 1894 in Hutchesontown, Glasgow. On his…

Lieutenant David Thomas Emyr James, R.N.R. was born Tyrhedyn (Fern house) High Street, St. Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire, Wales on the 6th of March 1885. He was the first of Captain David and Annie James’ three children. We do not know when David began his career at sea but we do know that on the 6th of…

Thomas Charles Ollosson of the Mercantile Marine Reserve was a Steward on the HMS Laurentic when it sank in January 1917. The youngest of Samuel and Mary Ollosson’s six children, he was baptised on the 29th of October 1882 at the Llangefni Parish Church, Anglesey, North Wales. Thomas Charles worked at the School Slate Works…