Person

Frederick Charles McCarthy was born in 1885 in Hartlepool. He was known as Fred to his family. His father was Hartlepool engine fitter John McCarthy (1845-1936). His mother was Jane McCarthy nee Sleightholm(1845-1887) from Stockton. His parents married around 1877 and had five known children, giving Fred two sisters and two brothers. His mother died in 1887. In 1891 his widowed father and children lived at 40 Stainton Street, Hartlepool. By 1901 they had moved to 8 Gas Street, Hartlepool. Fred was recorded working as an ironmonger’s assistant in 1901. Fred’s sister, Lil, emigrated to Canada in 1912 and married Hartlepool born man Percy Cass who served in the Canadian Army and was killed in action in France in 1917.

Fred served as a ship’s carpenter in the Mercantile Marine Reserve (MMR) during World War One. On New Year’s Day 1919 he was a member of the crew of HMY (His Majesty’s Yacht) Iolaire. This was a relatively small ship pressed into service to bring sailors who had fought in the war back to the Scottish island of Lewis. ‘Iolaire’ sank off the island’s coast as it made its approach to the port of Stornaway. There were 280 men on board, including 24 crew, and at least 201, including Fred, perished. This remains the worst peacetime maritime disaster in British waters.

Fred’s body was not recovered for burial and he was honoured on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. He was honoured on the Plaque 1914-18 in All Saint’s Church, Stranton, Hartlepool where he had been a bell ringer in peacetime. He was also honoured on the plaque erected by the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Association of Change Ringers in St Nicholas’ Cathedral, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

In 2018 pupils on the Isle of Lewis have collected a stone from the home village of each of the 201 sailors lost on the Iolaire. These stones have been incorporated into a unique memorial in the form of a cairn in Stornoway town centre. Pupils made a plea for a stone from Hartlepool to commemorate Fred and this was reported in the articles linked below:

Hartlepool Mail, article about appeal for stone to be included in memorial:
https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/appeal-for-memorial-stone-to-remember-hartlepool-sailor-killed-in-scottish-shipping-disaster-1-9033800

Hartlepool Mail, article about unveiling of memorial:
https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/hartlepool-bellringer-who-perished-in-shipping-disaster-honoured-1-9080163/amp

Stornoway Gazette, article about construction of memorial:
https://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/lewis-pupils-create-iolaire-memorial-for-stornoway-1-4704025

Hebrides News, article about construction of memorial:
http://www.hebrides-news.com/new-iolaire-memorial-11318.html

Fred McCarthy was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service in World War One.

Civil Parish: Hartlepool

Birth date: 1885

Death date: 01-Jan-1919

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: 40 Stainton Street, Hartlepool (1891 census)
8 Gas Street, Hartlepool (1901 census)

Employment: Ironmonger’s assistant (1901 census)

Family: Parents: John McCarthy (1845-1936), Jane McCarthy nee Sleightholm(1843-1887)
Siblings: Ethel Jane McCarthy (b 1879), William Alfred McCarthy (b 1880), John Henry McCarthy (b 1881), Lilian “Lil” Maud Mc Carthy later Cass (b 1883)

Military service:

Ship’s carpenter
Mercantile Marine Reserve
HM Yacht Iolaire

Medal(s): Victory Medal
British War Medal

Memorial(s): Plymouth Naval Memorial
Plaque 1914-18, All Saints’ Church, Stranton, Hartlepool
Plaque Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Association of Change Ringers, St Nicholas’ Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham | A family member