Encyclopedia Titanica

Laurence Doyle

Mr Lawrence Doyle was reportedly born in Co Wexford, Ireland around 1885 but his exact familial background has yet to be established.

His first working sea voyage was as a trimmer aboard Carmania in April 1907; he was discharged on 2 May and gave his address as 17 Bleuehuin (?) Street. He was shown rejoining the same ship the next day, by now giving his address as 70 Lennon Street.

By 15 January 1909, when he signed on to Empress of Britain as a fireman, Doyle was giving his address as 8 Wellington Street and indicated that prior to that he had served aboard Lucania1. Between then and 27 August 1909 when he rejoined Empress of Britain he had served aboard Lusitania. He rejoined Carmania on 22 October that year. 

Doyle signed on for the maiden voyage of Titanic on 6 April 1912; he stated his local address as 10 Orchard Place, Southampton and his previous ship as the Majestic and as a fireman he could expect monthly wages of £6.

Lawrence Doyle died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified. 

Notes

  1. On this particular voyage a John Doyle (b. circa 1882) also served as a fireman; like Lawrence he was Wexford-born and gave his address as 8 Wellington Street. Were they brothers or cousins? Brothers John and Lawrence Doyle appear on the 1901 census as residents of 64 Ashville Road, Seacombe, Cheshire; they are of the correct ages but are Liverpool-born, of a Dublin-born mother and a Wexford-born father, John and Elizabeth Doyle. On the 1911 census Lawrence is absent but John is described as a boiler scaler. In September 1909 a Liverpool-born Lawrence Doyle (with a similar if not the same handwriting) served as fireman aboard Haverford; of the correct age, he gave his birthplace as Liverpool and address as 64 Ashville Road; he deserted the ship in Philadelphia. This Lawrence Doyle was born in Liverpool on 17 June 1885. Could it be surmised that these two Lawrence's were one and the same? 

Documents and Certificates

Agreement and Account of Crew, National Archives, London; BT100/259
(1912) Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea, National Archives, London; BT334/52 & 334/53
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Titanic Crew Summary

Name: Mr Laurence Doyle
Born: circa.1885
Age: 27 years (Male)
Nationality: Irish
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Fireman
Embarked: Southampton
Died in the Titanic disaster (15th April 1912)
Body Not Identified

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