Peter Buswell, 26, was a shipping Agent who made several trips across the Atlantic. He was returning to Britain aboard Lusitania after arriving in New York aboard the Cunarder Tuscania on 22 March 1915. He was also a Cameronia transfer. Buswell survived the sinking of the Lusitania on 7 May 1915.
Life
Peter Buswell was born in the second quarter of 1888, with his registration in West Ham of Greater London, United Kingdom. In the 1891 census, he was 2 years old and lived in Canning, West Ham, Essex, with his widowed mother Mary Ann, age 38. Peter had brothers Arthur H., age 13, and Frank, age 5.
In the second quarter of 1910, Peter Buswell married Marion McB. Haxton. Their marriage was registered in district of Southwark, Greater London. Peter and Marion had a son, also named Peter, born in the first quarter of 1913. His birth is listed in the Lambeth district of Greater London. A daughter, Eileen M. was born in the first quarter of 1915 in Croydon, Greater London.
Peter Buswell claimed to be from Surrey, England, but census and registration place him mostly around the Greater London area. His nearest relative was Frank Buswell, presumably a bank manager, who lived on 49 Lucerne Road, Thorntonhead (Thornton Heath, Greater London?).
Buswell became a shipping Agent and made several trips across the Atlantic. He arrived in New York, New York, United States aboard the Cunarder Tuscania on 22 March 1915. He was on his way to Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom aboard the Cameronia, which was requisitioned on 1 May 1915. Thus, he was transferred to Lusitania for the 1 May 1915 sailing. His ticket for the last crossing was 013429 and he stayed in cabin B-4. Buswell survived the sinking of the Lusitania on 7 May 1915.
Buswell traveled again to New York aboard the Cunarder Tyrrhenia. He listed his wife Marion as living at 75 Leigh Hall Rd, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, England. Peter died on 24 March 1949, presumably in Leigh-on-Sea. His son, also named Peter, lived at Sunninghill Avenue, Leigh-on-Sea.
Contributors
Ralph Cook
Cliff Barry
Nigel Buswell
William Taber
Peter Buswell’s wife Maron was the daughter of David Haxton b. 1857, a lay preacher from Edinburgh, Scotland who was trained at the Glasgow Mission School and moved to London with his wife Susan Haxton, nee Mullan (born 1858 in Edinburgh of Irish parents who arrived in Scotland to escape the Irish Famine in the 1840s). David Haxton was employed by the London City Mission to missionise amongst the London cab drvers.
His daughter Marion McBrydie Brown Haxton was born in Edinburgh in 1887 and I am a descendant of her brother James Haxton b. 1882 in Edinburgh (died 1952 in Surrey). Marion returned to Croydon after her husband’s death in 1949 and died there in 1968. She sailed to the USA at least once as Peter’s wife and also in her maiden name. Peter and Marion’s son, also named Peter Buswell b. 29 Dec 1912 at Lambeth was married twice at Southend, Essex and had two children, one by each wife, I think and died at Southend aged 81 in 1994