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Roll of Honour

Hartlepool seafarers lost at sea

Lupton, Benjamin

Leading Stoker
35, Acclom Street
Darlington
10/9/1890
31/5/1916

Benjamin Lupton was born in Darlington on 10th September 1890 to Richmond born Robert George Lupton, a forgeman, and his wife Maria who had been born in Staithes. THe couple had 11 children but only 6 of them survived childhood. The family did move around the area as their first son was born in Loftus, the next in Stockton, further children including Benjamin in Darlington and around 1895 they must have moved to West Hartlepool where further children were born.

In 1901 they lived in Furness Street West Hartlepool and in 1911 in Acclom Street. Benjamin however was not with the family and in 1911 was a seaman living in Portsmouth in a boarding house. He had joined the Royal Navy in April 1908, his first ship being Ganges II. His naval record describes him as being 5 feet 6 and a half inches in height with dark bron hair and blue eyes. He had a scar on his right thigh. His conduct is described as very good on all but one voyage where he appears to have been in detention.

Benjamin's last ship was to be HMS Queen Mary which, on 31st May 1916, was hit twice by the German battle cruiser Derfflinger during the Battle of Jutland, her magazines exploded and she sank with a loss of 1,266 men including Benjamin Lupton.

His parents were informed at their home in Acclom Street and his name is recorded on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.