On Tower Hill Memorial is the name of First Mate Thomas Davie Wayman, serving on S.S. Lavernock (Cardiff) with the Mercantile Marine who died 17/09/1918.
He was the son of the late George and Mary Wayman and the husband of Sarah Jane Wayman (nee McEwen), of 19, Villette Road, Sunderland. He was born at Sunderland.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following;
Thomas Davie Wayman was one of 4 known children offspring of George Robson Wayman born January 2nd 1816 and Mary Davie born in 1817 both natives of Sunderland historically in County Durham. They were married at Monkwearmouth April 11th 1838.
The first of 3 sons John George was born at Sunderland, July 29th 1844, William in 1846 and Thomas Davie Wayman, April 26th 1850. Mary and their children were living with her mother Mary Davie in 1851 at 9, Wear Street, Sunderland who was listed as a shepherd’s widow, Mary Wayman as a mariner’s wife. A daughter whom they named Mary Davie Wayman was born in 1852.
In 1861 Thomas and his sister Mary were attending school at Whashton, Yorkshire but by the age of 21 he had settled at Sunderland, historically in County Durham where he was married July 10th 1871 to Sarah Jane McEwan. A local girl she was born January 3rd 1853, her father John McEwan was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland and had married Sunderland-born Mirrel Maria Turner settling at Sunderland.
The first of Thomas and Sarah Jane’s children John George was born August 23rd 1871, Mary Davie, March 11th 1873, Mirrel Maria January 1st 1875, Tomima Beatrice, June 10th 1877, Gertrude 1880. Tragedy befell the family when Mirrel Maria Wayman died February 28th 1881 aged 6 years and laid to rest in the McEwan family grave with her grandfather who had died January 19th 1864. Francis McEwan Wayman was born October 10th 1882, Millicent 1888 but their son mariner John George Wayman died at sea in the English Channel in 1891. The youngest of their children George Robson Wayman was born at Sunderland in 1892 but he died at the age of 18, June 5th 1910 at Novorossiysk, Russia, aboard the transatlantic packet boat “Palestine” of the Black Cross Line whilst serving as an apprentice.
At 187, Hastings Street in 1911 Sarah Jane was living with her daughter Gertrude in 2 rooms, the remainder of her surviving children had left the family home and her husband was once again at sea. Over the years he had risen from 2nd Mate to 1st Mate and to Master Mariner but at the time of his demise was serving as 1st Mate.
1st Mate Thomas Davie Wayman is deemed to have drowned when the S.S. Lavernock en-route from Bilbao to Glasgow with a cargo of iron ore came under attack without warning by the enemy submarine, UB-117 (Erwin Waßner) SSW from Trevose Head, Cornwall September 17th 1918. Torpedoed, she sank with the loss of 25 lives including the Master.
His sacrifice and that of his shipmates is recorded on Tower Hill Memorial which stands on the south side of the garden at Trinity Square, London commemorating men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in both World Wars and who have no known grave. 1st Mate Thomas Davie Wayman was 68 years of age. Awards; Mercantile Marine Medal and British War Medal sent to his widow at 19, Villette Road, Sunderland.
In 1921 Sarah Jane was living alone at the aforementioned address, she was 68 years of age. Sarah Jane Wayman nee McEwan died at Sunderland, August 9th 1933 she was 80 years of age.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Acknowledgments: Barney Rice
Thomas Davie Wayman is remembered at Hendon on H123.04, at Sunderland in in S140.48 Part 8, and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
