Photo: Derek Haynes

The family headstone reads:

In
loving memory of
Robert,
beloved husband of
Elizabeth Heavisides
died Dec. 31st 1919
aged 64 years.
Also the above
Elizabeth Heavisides
died Feb. 27th 1943
aged 87 years.
Also Thomas E.
Son of the above
Petty Officer of H.M.S. Campania
died Dec. 6th 1918
aged 28 years.
Also John H.
Son of the above
died Sep. 8th 1882
aged 5 years.

Acknowledgements Barney Rice

Derek Haynes has provided the following:

Thomas was born in the September Q 1890 in the registration district of Sunderland to Robert & Elizabeth Heavisides (nee Helm) who married in the December Q 1874, also in Sunderland. Thomas had 5 siblings, they were:
Elizabeth Ann Heavisides born June Q 1875
John Helm Heavisides born September Q 1877 and died September Q 1882 aged 5 years
Mary Jane Heavisides born June Q 1884
William Waugh Heavisides born March Q 1887
John Heavisides born September Q 1900

All were born in the district of Sunderland

At the time of the 1891 census Robert was 8 months old, living with his parents, his sister Mary, aged 6 years, and brother William, aged 3 years, in three rooms at 40 Wellington Street in the parish of Southwick. Father Robert was employed as a carter; the eldest daughter Elizabeth Ann, now aged 15 years, had left the family home and went into employment working as a domestic servant for the Priestley family in Thornhill Park in the parish of Bishopwearmouth.

Aged 10 years, when the 1901 census was taken, Thomas and the family were residing in the same house; his father was now employed as a Horse Keeper in an Engine Works. At some time between the time of both 1901 and 1911 censuses being taken the family had moved the short distance to 17 Abbay Street, the house having three rooms. Thomas, now aged 20 years, was employed as a Joiner and Carpenter, possibly in one of the nearby shipyards.

After marrying Mary Elizabeth Graham at South Shields in the June Q 1913 it appears that Thomas and his wife moved to Liverpool. In the June Q 1914 the birth of a son Robert was registered in Birkenhead. After enlisting into the Merchant Navy Thomas signed on to serve as a Shipwright on HMS Campania.

Constructed in 1882 at Fairfield’s shipyard, Govan, Scotland, HMS Campania began life as one of Cunard’s finest liners. Due to be scrapped in 1914 she was bought by the Admiralty for service in World War 1 and converted into a seaplane carrier and armed merchant cruiser.

On the 5th November 1918, whilst anchored in the Firth of Forth just off Burntisland, in a gale force wind one of the anchor chains broke. The ship began to drag out of control and struck other warships nearby. The port side of the Campania was pierced by HMS Revenge then, at 8.35 a.m., one of the boilers exploded and she sank. Fortunately the crew of 600 were all able to abandon ship and were rescued by nearby vessels which were on standby. As the information available does not give any details of the crew’s experiences in the sinking it is not known what injuries Thomas suffered when rescued. Whatever they were they must have been very serious as it would only be a month later the 6th December 1918 that Thomas passed away at 28 Sutherland Street, Liverpool.

The following announcement was placed in the Liverpool Echo 09/12/1918:

December 6 at 29 Sutherland Street, Thomas Edward, 1st C. P.O. Campania, the beloved husband of Mary Elizabeth Heavisides. Interment at Southwick Cemetery, Sunderland tomorrow (Tuesday).

His body was returned to the family home at 69 John Street, Southwick from there on the 11th December 1918 it was taken to Southwick Cemetery where in Section CC Grave no. 978 he was laid to rest.

A family headstone marks his final resting place.

It would be just over a year after the death of Thomas that his father Frederick died on the 31st December 1919 in Sunderland Royal Infirmary. He was laid to rest on the 5th January 1920. His mother Elizabeth was 87 when she died on the 27th February 1943 at 6 Thomas Street North. She was laid to rest on the 3rd March 1943 in the same plot in Southwick Cemetery as her husband and son.

John H. is not buried in the same plot or cemetery as his parents and brother: Southwick Cemetery did not open until 1884, prior to this burials took place in the Holy Trinity Churchyard, Southwick. It is here where John was laid to rest on the 10th September 1882.

Mary Elizabeth remarried in the March Q 1920 to Edward McNeil; the marriage was registered in the registration district of Tynemouth. There were two children from the marriage:
Edward McNeil – March Q 1921
Joyce McNeil – June Q 1925
Both births were registered in Tynemouth

By 1939 Mary and her new family were residing at 38 Birtley Avenue, Tynemouth, Northumberland. Also residing there now, aged 25 years, was Robert Heavisides, the son of the late Thomas and Mary.

Thomas Edward Heavisides is remembered in Southwick on S130.06, in Sunderland on S140.048 page 157, in "Southwick on Wear" and on our List of Ships’ crews

The Sinking of HM.S. Campania
The CWGC entry for Shipwright Heavisides