The Boston Globe, Globe Pequot Press.
Guilford, CT. Courtesy Carole Lindsay.
Lothrop Withington was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan N. Withington of
Newburyport, Massachusetts, United States. Both of his parents
died
when Lothrop was relatively young, and when Lothrop was 19 he went to
France
where he attended lectures at the University of Paris.
Caroline Lloyd, the daughter of a noted Socialist author became his
wife, but the couple had no children. Lothrop was also the uncle
of Paul
and Lothrop Withington, former Harvard football and crew men.
Even
though Lothrop claimed the Boston area to be his home, he lived in
England for several years. When he was in the Boston area,
however, he lived
with relatives in Newburyport. One of his cousins was W. W.
Jacques
of 469 Beacon Street.
Lothrop's profession was genealogy and was known internationally as an
expert. He "spent several months each year in pouring over old
Colonial
records in New England" and maintained an office in the Journal
Building
in Boston. As of 1915, he had completed an "exhaustive search" of
old records at Salem.
During the last week of April, Lothrop left Boston for New York to set
sail on the Lusitania. Traveling with him was fellow
Bostonian,
Charles Lauriat. Both passengers
agreed that as a belligerent ship, the Lusitania was likely to
be attacked, but sailed anyway.
Throughout the voyage, Withington and Lauriat would check on the ship's
daily run. Lauriat was often disappointed at the slowness of the
ocean greyhound and complained to Withington, "At this rate, we're not
going to make Liverpool on time."
Withington and Lauriat visited the smoking room for the third night
out's ship's pool, but did not buy a number. The pool was largely
popular and proceeds averaged £105 a day.
Withington did not survive the disaster, and if his body was ever
recovered it was not identified. Contributors: Carole Lindsay
Judith Tavares
References: The Boston Globe, Globe Pequot Press.
Hickey, Des and Gus Smith. Seven Days to Disaster.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1981.
