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Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.William was born in 1879 at Liverpool to William and Mary Jane Allen nee Tyrrell. His father had originated from Yorkshire, but settled in Liverpool after his marriage to Mary Jane in 1864 and later census returns show the expansion of the family, and subsequent moves. In 1871 the couple and their first two children are at Amos Street in Everton, while the return of 1881 finds them on the opposite side of the city at 17 Sinclair Street, Garston, with William George being three years of age. In 1891 they have moved to 10 Toxteth Street, Toxteth, and in 1901 William George is a “ticket writer” of 37 Britannia Avenue, Wavertree, with this census also showing that his mother has been widowed sometime between the this census and the last.
The 1911 census shows his mother at 12 Beckenham Avenue Greenbank Road, which confirms the address given in the Masonic records, with the additional information that she had had nine children, six of whom are still alive, and married forty six years ago. William is found in the 1911 census as a Barkeeper aboard the S.S. Karina at anchor at The Sloyne in the River Mersey off Birkenhead.
Checking further through the 1911 census, William’s older brother, Rowland, is found serving in Hampshire with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps as a Company Sergeant Major, and would in WW1 serve in France from 21 July 1915, being later commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, fortunately he survived the war.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: SS Karina |
| Action : Naval Campaign |
Naval Campaign is defined as to include all sea operations where attrition rates are in ones and twos and which do not fall within specific naval battles such as Jutland, Coronel, Falklands etc. This includes Merchant Navy losses.
Detail :
The Provincial return sheet for 1915 records William as residing at 12 Beckenham Avenue, Liverpool and notes him as having died in the month of March. This is collaborated by the National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), for 1915 which has; Allen, William George of Beckenham Avenue, Toxteth Park, Liverpool died 14 March 1915 at sea. Administration, Liverpool 20 April to Mary Jane Allen, widow. Effects £534. 0s. 6d. Unfortunately the index does not show the relationship to know if Mary Jane is his widowed mother, or a wife of the same name.
The Maritime register for 1915 on has W G Allen born Liverpool, aged 31, a Bar and Store Keeper of 12 Beckenham Avenue died at sea 12 March (differs from probate which has 14 March) aboard “S.S.Karina” at 4.20 N and 8.10 W (West African Coast) from pneumonia. She was a British Merchant steamer which had a dual role of carrying both passengers and cargo, weighing 4,222 gross ton, with accommodation for one hundred first class and seventy second class passengers. Named after a town in the north of Sierra Leone, she was the sister ship of S.S. Mendi and was built in 1905 at Clydebank by A Stephen and Son’s of Glasgow for the African Steam Ship Company, of the Elder-Dempster Company. Over two years after William’s death the vessel was torpedoed and sunk, on 1 August 1917 25 miles south west of Waterford by UC75, with the loss of eleven lives.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Mariners' No. 249 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
7th June 1906 | 18th October 1906 | 23rd April 1907 |
William George Allen was initiated a member of MARINERS LODGE No 249 on 7 June 1906, a Steward residing at 31 Whitcroft Road, Fairfield, Liverpool. He was passed to the second degree in Ancient Union Lodge No 203 on 18 October, and raised to the degree of a Master Mason on 23 April 1907 in Stanley Lodge No 1325. His Grand Lodge certificate was issued on 13 May 1907.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley