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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: rubymelia on Thursday 24 December 20 16:52 GMT (UK)

Title: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: rubymelia on Thursday 24 December 20 16:52 GMT (UK)
Hi all,

I am hoping someone can offer any advice/knowledge?

I am searching for information on my g-grandfather, George Griffiths (16/08/1895 - 1943) who was born and died in Chester, Cheshire however worked on the docks/ships in Liverpool so used to travel back to Chester at the weekends.

I am following a family story that he survived the Titanic sinking however when checking out names etc I couldn't find a match but found a 'George Griffith', a second class waiter, who survived the Lusitania. My g-grandfather's surname had an 's' however what are the chances this could be him? I am also aware that the name Griffiths is extremely popular.

(His family is also from Mold, Wales)

Thanks :)
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: CaroleW on Thursday 24 December 20 17:05 GMT (UK)
He would have been around 20 when the Lusitania was sunk.  Unfortunately there is no age against the entry you found
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: CaroleW on Thursday 24 December 20 17:07 GMT (UK)
Have a look at this link

https://www.bootlehistory.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20929

Strangely - no mention on this link which is supposedly all crew & passengers at time of commencement of voyage

http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~lusilist/LusitaniaPassengerList.html
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: cath151 on Thursday 24 December 20 17:39 GMT (UK)
There is this which enlarged seems to indicate a birth in 188? and possibly in Salop.

https://theunseenlusitania.wordpress.com/2017/05/21/george-griffiths-second-class-waiter/

Cathy
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: CaroleW on Thursday 24 December 20 23:02 GMT (UK)
Brilliant find Cathy 🤗
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: markheal on Friday 25 December 20 00:16 GMT (UK)
Carole,
Many thanks for all those links.

I have this survivor on my tree:

Frederic John Gauntlett
1870–1933
BIRTH 2 JAN 1870 • 16 John Street, Marylebone, London, England
DEATH 20 JUL 1933 • St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England
======
GAUNTLETT, Fred J.
New York. Passenger: first class. Survived. Traveled with A. L. Hopkins and S. M. Knox. Mr. Gauntlett manned a lifeboat and helped save 32 people. (Hickey/Smith, pages 96, 104, 150, 187, 226)
======
https://www.rmslusitania.info/people/saloon/frederic-gauntlett/#:~:text=Frederic%20Gauntlett%20%281870%20%E2%80%93%201951%29%2C%2045%2C%20was%20a,and%20Knox%20survived%20the%20disaster%2C%20Hopkins%20did%20not.
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: Gibel on Friday 25 December 20 13:02 GMT (UK)
The George Griffiths found by Cathy151 looks to me as of he was born in 1881 in Jackfield Salop which appears to be in the parish of Broseley Shropshire.
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: barryd on Friday 25 December 20 21:42 GMT (UK)
Google          George Griffith Lusitania

if you have not already and you will get about a page of him.
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: rubymelia on Saturday 26 December 20 14:32 GMT (UK)
Hi thanks all looks like it's not him who was on the Lusitania!

Any ideas of where to investigate next? It was originally thought it was the Titanic and then the Lusitania and both have been discounted so not really sure where to look now!
Title: Re: Lusitania survivor: George Griffiths
Post by: IgorStrav on Saturday 26 December 20 14:50 GMT (UK)
Just to throw another spanner in the works - sorry! - have you thought that this family rumour may have come from someone who saw/read the (wrong) George Griffith Lusitania reference and associated it with your great grandfather?

Or perhaps your great grandfather noticed the survivor and said he was glad he'd not been on the Lusitania and the reference attached itself to him?

Only mentioning as the sources of accepted family 'truths' sometimes get very convoluted.
I always quote the story of the family who 'came from Wales' but could not be shown to have any connection at all, until someone noticed a long-past member of the family living in a Swansea Street in an English town.