Hugh McElroy

Hugh McElroy
Studio photo of McElroy, c. 1909
Born(1874-10-28)28 October 1874
Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Died15 April 1912(1912-04-15) (aged 37)
North Atlantic Ocean
OccupationMerchant seaman
Known forChief Purser of RMS Titanic
Spouse
Barbara Mary Ennis
​
(m. 1910)​
RelativesClint McElroy (great-nephew)
Awards Transport Medal

Hugh Richard Walter McElroy (28 October 1874 – 15 April 1912) was a British Merchant sailor who served aboard the RMS Titanic as Chief Purser during its ill-fated maiden voyage. He was the head of the ship's victualling department.

McElroy perished in the sinking. His body was the most senior crew member to be recovered and identified by the CS Mackay-Bennett. He was subsequently buried at sea.

Early life

McElroy was born in Liverpool to Richard McElroy (1844–1888), a shipwright born to Irish parents, and a Scottish mother from Edinburgh, Jessie Fox (1847–1927). He was one of four children, born after his sisters Charlotte and Jessie, and before his brother Richard. He was baptised in the Catholic faith and, at age 16 in 1890, left to train as a priest in St. Mary's Priory in Bodmin, Cornwall.[1]

However, McElroy dropped out of priest training in 1892 and returned to his home in Liverpool, where he followed his father's footsteps by joining the British Merchant Navy.[2][1]

Career

Crew members of the RMS Olympic with Captain Edward Smith (seated centre). McElroy is seated on the far right. Also photographed are Chief Officer Henry Wilde (seated second from left) and First Officer William Murdoch (standing far right)

Allan Line

McElroy joined the Allan Line in 1893 and served as purser for seven years aboard ships such as the SS Numidian and SS Sardinian. As Chief Purser, he was in charge of the victualling crew, which often made up the biggest department on a passenger liner. According to his White Star Line documents, he served on 12 voyages with the Allan Line in total.[3]

White Star Line

In 1899, McElroy joined the White Star Line, where he remained for the rest of his career.[1] His first ship with the line was the SS Cymric. During the Second Boer War, McElroy served aboard the troopship HMT Britannic under Captain Bertram Fox Hayes; he is mentioned in the Boer War Transport Medal Roll book and was awarded the Transport Medal with the South Africa Clasp.[4]

McElroy went on to serve aboard notable ships such as the RMS Cedric, SS Laurentic, RMS Majestic, RMS Baltic, and RMS Republic. On the Baltic, he served under Captain Edward Smith, the White Star Line's distinguished captain, and was aboard for its maiden voyage.[1] In 1911, he was aboard the RMS Olympic, with Smith and William Murdoch, for its maiden voyage and also when it collided with HMS Hawke at the start of its fifth voyage.[5]

RMS Titanic

Purser McElroy (left) with Captain Smith on 11 April 1912, aboard Titanic. It is one of the last photos taken of either man.

As Chief Purser, McElroy's role was considered of equal importance as that of Captain Edward Smith. He was stationed on C Deck, at the First Class Purser's office near the Grand staircase. As part of his duties, he had to ensure that all passengers had valid tickets, was in charge of all purchases for a trip, paid the wages to the crew, and sent passenger messages to the Marconi wireless room on the Boat Deck via a pneumatic tube.[6][7][2]

Apart from Captain Smith, he was one of the few crew members who regularly dined with the passengers as part of his duties. He was said to have been almost as popular with passengers as the captain and was highly regarded for his amiability and good sense of humour.[1][8][7]

Iceberg collision and evacuation

On the day of the sinking, he had spent the evening in the First Class dining saloon. After the ship struck the iceberg, while the damage was still being surveyed, he initially told passengers to return to their rooms but have their lifebelts on. When the situation became dire, he handled what was described as a "crowd demanding their valuables, which the purser and his assistant were endeavouring to hand out as quickly as possible." After a while, McElroy reportedly locked the safe and urged passengers to get their lifebelts and report to the boats. First-class steward Frederick Dent Ray saw McElroy and assistant Purser Reginald Barker "at the safe taking things out and putting them in [Gladstone] bags."[9] It was likely that the pair were saving the valuables to be distributed after a potential rescue; however, neither man would survive, and the bags were lost in the sinking.[a][10]

Many survivors reported seeing him during the evacuation on the starboard side, helping with the loading of the lifeboats. Survivor Jack Thayer claimed later that, at Collapsible C, McElroy fired a gun twice into the air to aid First Officer William Murdoch, who was ordering two men who had jumped into the boat out of it; however, only the senior deck officers were issued guns, so it is unlikely that McElroy fired a shot.[9]

McElroy was reportedly last seen standing on the Boat Deck near the gymnasium, along with Assistant Purser Barker and the ship's two doctors, William O'Loughlin and John Simpson, supposedly joking around. None of the men survived.[1][11]

Body recovery and burial at sea

Of the crew who died during the Titanic sinking, McElroy was the highest-ranking crew member whose body was recovered by the CS Mackay-Bennett. He was recognised by his uniform and the address "Miss McElroy, Layton, Spottisbury, Dorset", referring to his sister. However, his name was erroneously listed as "Herbert W. McElroy."[1][2]

After his possessions were catalogued, McElroy's body was buried at sea on 22 April 1912.[1]

Personal life

On 10 September 1910, McElroy married Barbara Ennis, an Irishwoman. They had no children. After the death of her first husband, Barbara McElroy remarried in 1914 to John Clancy and moved to Ireland, where she remained for the rest of her life. She died in Springmount, County Wexford, on 18 December 1953.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ After the wreck site was discovered in 1987, a leather bag was found which contained, amongst other things, precious valuables such as pendants, rings, and pocket watches as well jewelry with diamonds, sapphires and pearls. This was likely one of the bags pursers McElroy and Barker used to secure the valuables removed from the Purser's Office.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Hugh Walter McElroy". Encyclopedia Titanica. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Chief Purser Hugh McElroy: Introduction". Titanic's Officers. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "Chief Purser Hugh McElroy: 1893 to 1898, Purser and First Ships". Titanic's Officers. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  4. ↑ "Chief Purser Hugh McElroy: 1899, White Star Liner". Titanic's Officers. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  5. ↑ "Chief Purser Hugh McElroy: 1911, RMS Olympic". Titanic's Officers. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Chief Purser Hugh McElroy: 1912, Titanic". Titanic's Officers. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  7. 1 2 Babler, Günter (2019). Guide to the Crew of Titanic. The History Press. ISBN 978-0750992336.
  8. ↑ Molony, Senan (26 April 2024). "The Irish Titanic Officer who was 'larger than life'". Irish Central.
  9. 1 2 "Chief Purser Hugh McElroy: Sinking of the Titanic and Evacuation". Titanic's Officers. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Beasley, David. "Jewels salvaged from Titanic to go on view". Reuters. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Lightoller, C. H. (1935). Titanic and Other Ships. London: Ivor Nicholson and Watson.

Further reading

  • McElroy, Frank (2011). Death of a Purser. Authorhouse UK. ISBN 978-1456790424.
  • Fitch, Tad; Layton, J. Kent; Wormstedt, Bill (2012). On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the R.M.S. Titanic. Amberley Books. ISBN 978-1848689275.
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