Poignant weekend for Titanic victim’s relative
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AS television and other media compete to commemorate the sinking of SS Titanic 100 years ago this weekend, a Lairg woman has special reason to have a moment’s silence on Sunday.
For her great uncle, George William Mackay, of Skerray, was one of those who died on board the luxury liner – aged just 20.
Angela Sutherland, of Craiglynne, Lairg, a retired "Support for Learning" manager with the local education authority, told the NT how surprised she is at the emotion she has felt this past few weeks.
"I always knew about George and visited his memorial stone in Skerray many times, but suddenly it has all come home to me. I wish now I had tried to find out more."
She understands that her great uncle was working as a butler in London prior to embarking on his fatal journey to New York.
Angela says that she knows that two of his sisters, Georgina and Christina Mackay, were already settled in the United States. "One was a nanny over there but I am not sure which, probably Georgina.
"They were always trying to persuade their other siblings — there were 12 surviving at that time including my grandmother, Angusina — to join them over there, and George must have agreed to go.
"He was apparently meant to make the journey on another boat, although I don’t know which one, but for some reason he ended up on the Titanic. I know that his ticket was numbered 42795. It was for a Third Class passage and cost £7 11s, quite a lot of money in those days although it was one of the cheapest, of course, on the Titanic. I imagine his sisters helped with the fare."
Angela was told that George’s mother, also Christina, had described a dream just days prior to the disaster. She informed the local elder about it who, apparently, had been telling the folk of Skerray that "bad news is coming."
George’s body was never recovered.
However, there is a memorial stone in Skerray cemetery which reads: "Erected in loving memory of George William Mackay, Glaickbea, son of William and Christina Mackay, who was lost in the Titanic Disaster, 15th April 1912 aged 20 years."
? Of the 706 Third Class passengers on board, 24 per cent (178) survived, compared to 62 per cent (202) First Class.
