McCubbin, James Alexander

236 James Alexander McCubbin, 62. He was the Purser on the Lusitania. His birth was registered in the West Derby district of Lancashire in the spring of 1852. He was christened 9 June 1852 at Saint Peter’s Church in Liverpool in the Church of England tradition His parents were Alexander, a baker born in 1827 in Scotland, and Ann (nee McWilliams, born about 1828 in St. James, Middlesex, England) McCubbin. His parents had married 11 June 1848 in London in the Church of England tradition. His known brothers and sisters were William John, b. 1849 in Lancashire (d. 1881 in Australia), Frederick, b. 1855 at West Melbourne, Australia (d. 1917), Mary Ann, b. 1857, Harriett Mary, b. 1865 (d. 1937 as Mrs. Gibson), Wilhelmina, b. 1863 (d. 1911 as Mrs. Alexander), and Ellen, b. 1865 (d. 1936). Several family members lived in the Melbourne area of Australia, and Australian press suggested that Mr. McCubbin also was an Australian. In 1881, aged 28, he seems to have been a corn factory director living at Sutton Street in West Derby with his wife Ann, 23, born at Cork. He seems to have been married to Ann (nee McCubbin?); the marriage seems to have taken place in West Derby in the summer of 1876. There is a possibility that they had a son, Frederick, born in or about July 1881, who tragically passed away 10 December 1881, aged only three months. His wife passed away in November or December 1885, aged only 27. In 1891, he lived in the household of his aunt Anne McCubbin (b. ca. 1821 in Scotland) in the Christchurch parish of Bootle Cum Linacre in Lancashire. He was noted as widowed purser aged 39. In October 1881, he served as a crew member on the Scythia, and in 1882, he was a crew member on the Servia. In 1883 he was on the Gallia and in 1886 he was working on the Cephalonia and by 1890 he was back on the Gallia again. His first ship as a purser with the Cunard Company was the Cephalonia, in 1897, on which ship, by the way, the chief engineer of the Lusitania, Archibald Bryce, also started his seagoing career (in 1884). Mr. McCubbin had been chief purser on several ships during his career and his last ship had been the Aquitania until she was taken over by the Admiralty and Mr. McCubbin then joined the Lusitania as its (chief) purser. His predecessor as purser on the Lusitania, Mr. Joseph Lancaster, retired in 1912 and Mr. McCubbins was, according to contemporary press, the Commodore Purser or Chief Purser of the Cunard Company after that.

Photo credit: New York Tribune 6 June 1914
In 1915, he is said to have lived at 8 Water Street, Liverpool, albeit his last known place of residence was allegedly North Western Hotel, Liverpool. Purser McCubbin did not survive the sinking of the Lusitania. His remains were recovered and identified (No. 91) and he was buried at Liverpool Cemetery (Toxteth Park) on May 14^th. In his will he left £3336 18s 10d to John Joseph Christian, barrister at law. The material presented on this page has been researched by Peter Engberg-Klarström. Copyright 2017 Peter Engberg-Klarström. Feel free to use the research, but please refer to my research if used in publications or if published or posted on other pages on the Internet.