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John Ryan Sheridan

Age: 17

Sex: male

Date: 18 Sep 1957

Place: Carinthia, North Atlantic Ocean

John Ryan Sheridan died on the Cunard line Carinthia between Montreal and Liverpool.

A verdict of misadventure was returned at his inquest on Wednesday 16 October 1957.

The liner was met by the police when it arrived in Liverpool and the passengers were asked not to discuss the incident with anyone.

He had been a ship's waiter and it was thought that he had died from cerebral haemorrhage following a boxing match, or scuffle, on board the vessel on Wednesday 18 September 1957.

John Sheridan had lived in Chapel Street, Waterloo, Liverpool.

It was said that another of the waiters, another boy that lived in North Promenade in Blackpool, had been promoted to tourist waiter and that they had decided to have an 'initiation ceremony'.

It was said that the waiter had been told to strip and that when John Sheridan told him to stand up he butted the waiter and there was then a scuffle. It was said that were was then a scuffle during which it appeared that the waiter hit John Sheridan whilst he was off balance and that he then fell and hit his head against a bunk, after which they shook hands.

However, it was said that John Sheridan went sick the following morning and later died.

The pathologist said that John Sheridan had a thin skull but said that it had not been fractured. He said that his death was due to haemorrhage of the brain caused by a minor blow to the head.

It was reported that following the verdict that John Sheridan's father said that he still thought that there was a lack of supervision in the ship.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Shields Daily News - Friday 20 September 1957

see Birmingham Daily Post - Wednesday 16 October 1957