Leonidas M. Bistis. A Leonidas Bistis, an unmarried clerk aged 21, came to New York in June 1903, bound for the home of his uncle Solon Blastos, 274 Stone Street, New York City. His home was Pireus, Greece. There is a good chance he was the future Lusitania passenger. The Cunard Line stated, in 1915, that Mr. Bistis’ point of origin was Greece. His father was Michael Bistis, who in 1917 lived at 20 Rue Andros in Athens, Greece. It seems his brother was Aristides Michel Bistis, a ship owner born 25 March 1890 at Andros Island, Greece, who came to the USA in 1918, aged 28. His brother lived in 1918 at 416 Madison Avenue, New York City, but was employed at Great St. Helens, London, England. He was made a naturalized citizen of the USA in 1923. Another brother, S. Bistis, lived at Great St. Helens, London, in 1923. Leonidas Bistis did not survive the sinking of the Lusitania. His body was recovered and identified (No. 251) and he was buried in Killury Churchyard, near Tralee, Ireland, July 16. His property was forwarded to (the Cunard Company) London Office, S. W., and handed over to brother, A. M. Bistis, 4, St. Mary Axe, London, E. C., July 26th. 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.
Jung, Philippe Joseph
Philippe Joseph Jong/Yung: he was a wool merchant, residing in Canada, but was a native of Antwerp, Belgium (born 12 December 1882). He was married to Minnie and had children. He also had a brother, Antoine. During WWI, he had fled to Vlijmen, Netherlands. In 1915, he lived at 72 Southfield Square in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, and was employed by Hufnagel and Co. at Cheapside, Bradford. He had sailed on the s.s. Franconia from Liverpool 23 January 1915 (the same ship as Walter Wright), and was noted as a wool merchant, aged 32. His father was noted as John Yung, who lived at Rue D’Ambruger (Dambruggestraat) 38 in Antwerp, Belgium. Philippe Yung spoke Flemish and had lived in Bradford, England before sailing for the USA. He was bound for a friend, Carez Coale who lived at 10 Bridge Street in New York City. He was 5’7’’ tall, had light hair and grey eyes. In 1936, he lived in Montevideo, Uruguay, and in 1945 he was listed as a wool exporter living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had observed the approaching torpedo and had run down to his cabin, where he got some important papers, but forgot his life preserver. When he came on deck, he noticed a lifeboat that capsized and made the decision to jump into the sea instead of trying another lifeboat. He was picked by a lifeboat (?) after having drifted about for two hours and was one of the survivors of the Lusitania disaster. (geschiednisvanantwerpen.be) 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.
Young, Mrs. Georgina Abigail
Georgina Abigail Young, nee Vernon: She was the wife of the above and was born 1 July 1858 in Ontario. Her parents were Dr. Elias (born 1827 in Ontario, d. 1904) and Abigail (nee Willoughby; born about 1834 in Cornwall, England) Vernon. She had at least three siblings; Walter Elias, b. 1863, Clarinda Ella, b. 1861, and Albert Crawford, b. ca. 1870. She married James Mason Young 27 September 1880 at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, New York. They had at least four children: Elsie Georgina (5 July 1883), Kathleen Douglass (9 October 1881), Alan Vernon (June 1887) and James Vernon Young (October 1891). In 1907, the Youngs lived at 301 James Street in Hamilton, Ontario. She was 5’5.5’’ tall, had dark brown hair and blue eyes. They belonged to the Presbyterian Church. She and her husband had booked passage on the Lusitania to visit a son who had been wounded in the war. She was lost in the sinking of the Lusitania along with her husband. Her body was recovered and identified after the sinking (No. 159) and was handed over to C. P. R., 21 May. 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.
Young, James Mason
James Mason Young: He was born 23 October 1853 in Hamilton, Ontario. His parents were John, b. 1808, and Anne (nee Coleman; b. 1812) Young. He had six older siblings; Jane, b. 1838, John, b. 26 November 1843, Agnes, b. 1845, Annie, b. 1847, Thomas, b. 1848, and Hamilton, b. 1850. He had co-founded the Hamilton Cotton Company in 1882 and was its president. He married Georgina Abigail Vernon 27 September 1880 at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, New York, and they had at least four children: Elsie Georgina (5 July 1883), Kathleen Douglass (9 October 1881), Alan Vernon (June 1887) and James Vernon Young (October 1891). In 1907 they lived at 301 James Street in Hamilton, Ontario. Mr. Young was noted as a manufacturer at the time. He was 5’6.5’’ tall, had brown hair and blue eyes. They had booked passage on the Lusitania to visit a son who had been wounded in the war. They belonged to the Presbyterian Church. He was lost when the Lusitania sank along with his wife.
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
Wright, Walter
Walter Wright: he was born in 1872 in Glasgow, Scotland, but also stated he was a native of Iquique, Peru (Chile?). He was christened 21 December 1873 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in the Presbyterian tradition – it was stated he was born 1872, but exactly when or where was not revealed. His parents were Joseph Hume, b. ca. 1831, and Margaret (nee Anderson; b. ca. 1832 at Glasgow) Wright, who had married 4 March 1859 at Glasgow. His known brothers and sisters were Margaret, b. 1 January 1860, Johnston/e, b. 2 September 1861, Josephine, b. 31 May 1863, and Joan Wilhelmina, b. 21 November 1865 (he may have had other siblings as well; the four mentioned above were all natives of Glasgow). His father passed away prior to 1881. In 1881 he lived at Elba Lane, Whinning Park Place, Glasgow, with his widowed mother and four brothers and sisters. His mother and his sister Margaret were milliners, his brother Johnston was an apprentice engineer and his sister Josephine was a dressmaker at the time.
He had lived/stayed in Chile for some time but returned to (Liverpool) England 18 October 1895 on the steamer Iberia, which had left Valparaiso at some point earlier, stating he was 25 years of age at the time, indicating a year of birth of 1870. He then lived in Scotland a few years and married his wife there in 1901 in the Western District of Old Monkland, Lanarkshire. In 1911, however, he lived in the Holy Trinity sub-district of Coventry, Warwickshire, England, with wife Janet Anderson (nee Gourlie, b. 29 December 1870 in Mount Vernon, Lanarkshire, Scotland), and children Joseph, b. 1901 in Glasgow, James, b. 1904 in Glasgow, and Margaret, b. 1910 in Coventry. Also present in the household was his sister-in-law Mrs. Elizabeth Fendlay (sic;), 45. Mr. Wright’s occupation was noted as ‘motorcar wheelworks.’ He was a member of the Well Street Congregational Church. In 1915 he lived at Stoke Park, Coventry, England. He was the managing director (of the wheel department) at the Dunlop Rim and Wheel Company, Limited. He had been in the USA on a business trip for the firm, having travelled from Liverpool 23 January 1915 as a saloon (first class) passenger on the steamship Franconia, and came to New York 1 February 1915. He was noted as a managing director, 42 years of age, 5’7’’ tall, had dark hair and gray eyes. His destination was listed as Coventry, England (?). Mr. Wright had been on business trips for the Dunlop company before; his previous trip seems to have taken place in September 1914. Walter Wright was lost when the Lusitania sank. He left property valued at $3,788.18s to his wife. 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.
Wright, Robert Currie
Robert Currie Wright. He was born 30 April 1861 at Motherwell, Dalziel, Lanark, Scotland, to Robert L. and Jessie (nee Currie; b. 1834 at Hamilton, Lanarkshire) Wright, who had married 7 December 1855 at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. His known brothers and sisters were William, b. 1856 Agnes, b. 1858, Alexander L. (?), .b 1862, Janet, b. 1866 (d. 1867), James, born 11 January 1868 at Dalziel, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He emigrated to the USA in 1881 on the steamer Turnessia and was made a naturalised citizen of the USA 16 June 1886. He married Sarah J. O’Neil 19 July 1888 in Ohio and they had at least three daughters; Helen L., Alice F., and Norma, who all were born in Ohio. He lived at 985 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio and was a former county auditor; he started this position in 1902 and served for seven years. He was on his way to Scotland, his old homeland, and expected to stay during the summer. He measured 5’8 ½”, had brown eyes, wore a moustache, had grey hair, a ruddy complexion, and a round face. The Cunard Line gave his point of origin as Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Wright survived the sinking of the Lusitania. He was alive as of 1932 and very likely in 1940. 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.
”Robert C. Wright, a prominent politician of Cleveland was still visibly affected by his experience. He said: ‘I was on dock (sic) close by the lounge on the starboard side reading a novel when I heard the crash and saw the upheaval of water. Suddenlly the vessel began to list to starboard. I said to myself: ‘This isn’t serious but it is best to be prepared.’ I started to go below for a life belt when I changed my mind about the seriousness of the situation and thought it best not to go. Then confidence returned to me as the stewards went calmly about the deck shouting: ‘There is no danger.’
The people already were crowding into the boat when suddenly the vessel gave a tremendous lurch and I, too, was precipitated into the boat. A woman in the water cried: Help me,’ and I reached out my hands to do so, when suddenly it seemed to me as if the end of the world had come. There was a crash, a great upheaval and my ears were dinned by a great concussion. Then the water began to boil up all about and I could see that the boat and all in it had disappeared and I was swimming. Some distance away was a fishing boat. She made several tacks but never came any nearer. I knew that it was on account of no wind but I was annoyed. There was no panic on board the Lusitania but there was an awful lack of efficiency. The boats were not lowered properly. Some were chopped from the ropes, fell and overturned. So far as I can recall, it was just lack of efficiency. I don’t know who was saved, but I know that Elbert Hubbard must have been drowned. I saw him and his wife start below, apparently for life belts, but I never saw either again. I am certain they were drowned.” (Eau Claire Leader, 11 May 1915, p. 2)
Wood, Arthur John
Arthur John Wood. His birth was registered in the spring of 1876 in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, and he had been christened on 28 February 1877 in Wolstanton. His parents were Herbert Henry, an engraver born about 1852 in Staffordshire, and Mary Ann (nee Hall; she was born about 1855 in Staffordshire) Wood who had married in the summer of 1875 in Wolstanton. In 1891, he was listed as an engraver, living with his parents at 48 (?) Scotia Road in Burslem, Staffordshire. There were three sisters living in the household at the time; Eleanor, 13, Laura, 6, and Evelyn, 2. Arthur was listed as a ‘potters designers and engraver (or engineer)’ in the 1901 census, living at King William Street in Tunstall, Staffordshire, having been born in Wolstanton, aged 24. He was married to Sarah Alice (nee) Farrall Wood, 22.They had married 26 December 1900 in Wolstanton. In 1911, he lived at Goldenhill, Staffordshire, with his wife. He was described as a ’pattern design paper’ working for a pottery manufacturer. The Staffordshire Adviser of 29 May 1915 carried a death announcement where it was stated that his parents were Herbert Henry and Mary Ann Wood and that Arthur John Wood lived in Oldcott Green. His parents resided at 48 Scotia Road in Burslem at the time. According to local press, Mr. Wood was a representative of the firm of Messrs. W. H. Grindley and Co., Tunstall and was on a business trip to New York. He had sailed from Liverpool 17 April 1915, travelling on the Lusitania, and reached New York 24 April. He was noted as a married designer aged 37. His destination in the USA was not disclosed. He was 5’9’’ tall, had dark brown hair and blue eyes. In 1915, he lived at 59 Oldcott Green in Goldenhill, Staffordshire. The Cunard Line gave his point of origin as England. Mr. Wood did not survive the sinking of the Lusitania. In 1915, he lived at 59 Oldcott Green in Goldenhill, Staffordshire. He left £5,722.9s.11d to Sarah Alice Wood, widow. His body was recovered and identified after the mishap (No. 126) He was buried at Queenstown on 10 May; Grave C, 4th Row, Lower Tier. His father died 22 December 1926, aged 74, and his mother passed away 19 December 1939 (the year is difficult to decipher, it could read 1935), in her 81st year. Arthur is mentioned on their gravestone. 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.
Withington, Lothrop
Lothrop Withington: He was born 31 January 1856 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, to Nathan Noyes, who in 1880 was the editor of The Newburyport Herald; he was born 9 March 1828 at Newbury, Mass., and Elizabeth (nee Little; born 7 February 1828 at Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts) Withington, who had married 12 September 1850 at Newbury. Lothrop Withington had six siblings; an unnamed brother b. 12 November 1851 (died in infancy), an unnamed brother b. 12 July 1852 (died in infancy), David Little, b. 3 February 1854 (an attorney at law in 1880), Mary Noyes, b. 20 February 1859, Annie Toppan, b. 17 Janury 1867, and Arthur Amos, b. 9 February 1869. He was a graduate of the class of 1872 at the Putnam Free School. As a schoolboy he had acquired skill as a printer, and upon leaving school, after a little time at the old Herald office, he is said to have secured a position in the Government Printing Office at Washington (?), but it is unknown for how long he worked there. In 1880, Lothrop was 24 years old and was working in a printing office. He lived with his family in Newburyport. He had studied at the University of Paris and after his studies there he went to London In fact, he stated he had lived in England since about 1871, but also that he had gone back to the USA once every year. He was a genealogist and had spent several months every year in pouring over old Colonial records in New England. He maintained an office in the Journal Building in Boston. He had just completed an exhaustive search of old records at Salem when he booked passage on the Lusitania. He had married Caroline Augusta Lloyd on 14 October 1892 in the Strand district of London, England. They had no children. From 1908 to at least 1912 he lived in Holborn, London. it was said he had been interested in the philosophical part of the anarchist movement. He had for many years researched family history and had secured an international reputation in this area or research which brought him many clients and rich awards. It was said he had collected an extremely valuable genealogical library and a card index of English genealogical material, with millions of entries, which was unique. While in America, Mr. Withington lived with his relatives in Newburyport for the most part. His last trip to America had been on the Lusitania which arrived in New York 23 December 1914. He was nearly 6 foot tall, had blue eyes, a moustache, grey hair, fair complexion and a full face. He then stayed in the USA for four months before embarking on the Lusitania for transport back to England. His last known place of residence in England was 30 Little Russell Street, Middlesex (no town was mentioned but it was Holborn, London) and in the USA he was said to have lived at Newburyport, Massachusetts. In his will, he left £1,072 17s 7d to Thomas Ernest Barker, a solicitor, who was the attorney for Arthur Withington (his brother). The Cunard Line gave his point of origin as Boston, Massachusetts. Lothrop Withington did not survive the foundering of the Lusitania. 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
Witherbee, Mrs. Beatrice
Beatrice Witherbee, nee Brown (LaTouche has been suggested as well): she was born in London, England, 30 September 1890 to James, a native of California, and Mary (nee Cummings) Brown but moved to the US in 1891. In 1900, she was Beatrice Brown, and lived with her widowed mother, Mary Brown, then 40, and grandmother Mary Cummings, 75, also a widow, at 313 West 112th Street in Manhattan, New York City. Her mother was noted as a teacher in dressmaking.
At the age of 19, she married 49-year old Alfred Witherbee (b. 13 June 1860 in Michigan), who was president of the Mexican Petroleum Solid Fuel Company. Their marriage license was issued 3 May 1910 in Buffalo, New York (which means that they probably/very likely married very shortly thereafter). Their son Alfred was born in June, 1911. She travelled on the Lusitania with little Alfred and her mother Mary Brown (cf. Above). According to her passport application of 1915, she was going to England, France, Italy and Spain on a pleasure trip with her husband (who did not travel on the Lusitania). She was 5’8”, had brown eyes, brown hair, fair complexion, and and oval face. She survived the sinking of the Lusitania, but her mother and her small son were lost. She divorced Alfred Scott Witherbee 29 July 1919, apparently in Pennsylvania. She married Alfred Eugene Jolivet on 25 November 1919 in New York City and passed away on 16 December 1977 in Vancouver, Canada, at the age of 85. She had been widowed on 1 July 1958.
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
Winter, William Henry
William Henry Winter: He was 28 years of age at the time of the sinking. He was born 8 December 1886 in Coleraine, Ireland. His father was William Winter, a hotelier born in 1854, who had married Elizabeth Williams (married Hall; she was a widow at the time of their marriage), William’s mother, 13 January 1885 in the Presbyterian Church at Coleraine, Antrim. His mother may have been born in England around 1856. His father died 27 October 1889, aged only 35. His widowed mother married Thomas Daly, a merchant, in 1895. William H. Winter lived in Bundoran, County Donegal, in the 1911 census. He was listed as a hotel manager, was unmarried and belonged to the Church of Ireland, and was a native of Londonderry. The name of the hotel was Great Northern Hotel. There were 15 employees living in the hotel at time. Ten years earlier he was a pupil, aged 14, living at 41.2 Roebuck, Dundrum, Dublin, which seems to have been a Protestant boarding school (the pupils and teachers were all Episcopalians (Church of Ireland) or Presbyterians. He was able to read and write and knew English only (he was not proficient in the Irish language).
William Henry Winter married Beatrice Grace Benison (b. 1894) 1 October 1914 at Christ Church in the parish of Finnur, County Donegal, in the Church of Ireland tradition. At some point after the wedding he was employed by the Cunard Line as assistant victualling superintendent, although he also remained as hotel manager of the Bundoran Hotel. He had come to New York 24 April 1915, having travelled from Liverpool, England, on the Lusitania. Coincidentally, Guglielmo Marconi, the ’father of telegraphy’ was also travelling on the same ship, listed as an Italian senator. Mr. Winter was noted as a married caterer, aged 29. His wife Beatrice lived at Liverpool. His final destination was described as ’’on board the Lusitania.’’ He was 5’10’’, had fair hair and brown eyes. He was born in Coleraine, Londonderry. The Cunard Line listed his point of origin as Liverpool, and also listed him as a victualling superintendent for the Cunard Line. His wife, Mrs. B. Winter, lived at 7, Mount Pleasant Square, Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland. William Winter did not survive the sinking of the Lusitania. His body was recovered and identified after the disaster (No. 228) and was forwarded to Dublin for interment on 25 May 1915. His widow married a James. H. Bradley in 1922.
’’Manager, Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran, a Lusitania Victim.
The remains were laid to rest at Mount Jerome Cemetery of the late Mr. H. Winters, Assistant Victualling Superintendent of the Cunard Line. Deceased, who only recently joined the Cunard service, went down with the Lusitania, his body being afterwards washed ashore near the Old Head of Kinsale, and removed to Dublin to his mother’s residence, Mount Pleasant square. The chief mourners were his young wife and mother, while the Cunard Company were also represented at the funeral. Mr Winters was also Manager of the Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran.’’ (Donegal Independent, 29 May 1915, p. 3) 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.
Peter's Lusitania Page 