Mr. Neil Clyde, Able-Bodied Seaman

Neil Clyde,55, was a British subject and able-bodied seaman working in the deck department of the Lusitania on the ship’s last voyage. Originally from Scotland, as of 1915 he was living in Liverpool, England. When the ship was torpedoed on 7 May 1915, Clyde survived the sinking. This biography is made possible by a collaboration with Peter Kelly and the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool.

Biography


Clyde was born in Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1859, the son of Neil and Annie Clyde. His family moved from their native Scotland to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, when Neil was very young. In 1885 Neil married Elizabeth Jones in Liverpool and for a time the couple resided in the Liverpool suburb of Birkenhead. By 1911, Neil and Elizabeth had moved to 15 Berwick Street, Liverpool. The couple had seven children.

Neil was a professional seaman in the mercantile marine and on 12 April 1915 he engaged as an able seaman in the Deck Department on board the Lusitania, at a monthly rate of pay of £5-10s-0d (£5.50), £1-10s-0d (£1.50) of which was advanced to him at the time. He reported for duty on board the liner at 7 am on 17 April before she left Liverpool Landing Stage for the last time. It was not the first time that he had served on the vessel.

Having completed her voyage to New York, the Lusitania began her return on 1 May 1915 and six days later on the afternoon of 7 May 1915 she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 within sight of the southern coast of Ireland and only 250 miles away from her home port.

Able Seaman Clyde survived the sinking. Having been rescued from the sea, he landed at Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, from where he eventually made it back to Liverpool. Some time after that he was officially discharged from the Lusitania’s final voyage and received the sum of £4-0s-8d (£4.03) which was the balance of pay owing to him in respect of his service on the liner from 17 April to 8 May, 24 hours after the liner had been sunk. According to the ‘Particulars of Discharge’ ledger, which all discharged seamen were required to sign by the Board of Trade, Able Seaman Clyde was “unable to sign, nerves”.

In June and July 1915 he was called to give evidence at the official enquiry conducted into the sinking, chaired by Lord Mersey at Caxton Hall in London. A photograph of him and five other crew member survivors appeared in the national press at the time.

He continued to serve with the Cunard Steamship Co Ltd for a number of years following his survival, most notably on the RMS Mauretania.

Neil Clyde died in Liverpool in late 1935, aged 76 years.

Links of interest


Neil Clyde at the Merseyside Maritime Museum

Contributors
Peter Kelly, Ireland
Ellie Moffat, UK

References
Register of Births, Marriages, and Deaths

1871 Census of England and Wales

1881 Census of England and Wales

1891 Census of England and Wales

1901 Census of England and Wales

1911 Census of England and Wales

Cunard Records

PRO BT 100/345.

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