Mr Thomas Casey was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England 1 on 29 July 1867, being baptised the same day in Holy Cross Church, Liverpool.
He was the son of Irish immigrants from Co Sligo, Thomas Casey (b. 1837), a dock labourer, and Margaret Byrne (b. 1837); and was brother to: Michael (b. 1859), Mary (b. 1862), Honor "Annie" (b. 1863) and Bridget (1869-1870). His two elder siblings had been born in Co Sligo.
The family appear on the 1881 census living at 18 Lace Street, Liverpool with the 13-year old Thomas being described as a school boy. Further census records for the family cannot be traced. His father died in 1889 and his mother in 1907.
His sister Anna was married in 1889 to Dennis Carroll (b. circa 1864), a dock labourer originally from Ireland, and she raised a family of nine children before she was widowed in 1905. By 1911 she and her children were living at 66 Ashfield Cottages, Liverpool and it is possible that Thomas also resided there whilst not at sea. He was unmarried.
When he signed on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, Casey gave his local address as the Sailors' Home, Southampton, his previous ship as the St Paul and his age as 38. As a trimmer he could expect monthly wages of £5, 10s.
Thomas Casey died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
His sister Annie Carroll benefitted from the Titanic Relief Fund as a dependent. Annie remained in Liverpool for the rest of her life and died in 1935.
In recent years different family members have reported that Tom Casey did not die on the Titanic, but that his papers were stolen from him while he stayed at the Sailors' Home in Southampton. The unknown thief presumably going on the take his place on the Titanic and lose his life. Tom then later turned up at his sister's home in around 1930 but owing to a past as part of the Irish Republican Army was shunned by his family. See the discussion on our message board for more on this completely unverified but intriguing possibility.
Comment and discuss
Showing 2 posts of 17 total. View all.
Open Thread Leave a Reply Watch Thread