BORN HULL 30/06/1888. SON OF JONATHAN STEPHENSON (1843-1919) & JOHANNA ESKRETT STEPHENSON (1845-1906), OF 35 TRINITY HOUSE, CARR LANE. HE HAD TEN SIBLINGS.
EMPLOYED AS A MARINE STOKER. HE MARRIED AT HULL, IN 1909. HIS WIFE JESSIE (1883-1963), LIVED AT 7, WILLIAM STREET, HULL (CWGC ADDRESS). THEY HAD A SON, ALEXANDER AND ONE DAUGHTER, JESSIE.
HE ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE, AS A MARINE STOKER. SERVED ON HMT “VALA”. LOST AT SEA, ON 21/08/1917, AGED 29. COMMEMORATED AT THE CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL.
The Trawler ‘Vala’, built by Ramage & Ferguson, Ltd., Leith in 1894 and operated at the time of her loss by Royal Navy, was a British Q-ship of 1.016 tons. She was originally a cargo ship owned by J. T. Salvesen, Grangemouth. On August 20th, 1917, Vala was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UB-54 (Egon von Werner), 120 miles southwest of Scilly Island. Most of the crew survived the double torpedo attack and went into the boats, but nothing was ever heard of them. 43 crew were lost.
