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Able-bodied Seaman George Francis McGough by Hugh McGough

On March 10, 1900, able-bodied seaman George Francis McGough, age 27, engaged in a drunken fight aboard the Rustington while the ship was in the harbor at Santos, Brazil. The fight was with another member of the ship's crew, John Dwyer, age 39. The Rustington had carried coal from Cardiff, Wales, to Santos. Dwyer fell, or was pushed or thrown, down a hatchway into the hold, and died of his injuries. Amy Murphy-DeMeo of Ormond Beach, Florida, is a great-granddaughter of John Dwyer. Her grandmother was about four years old when her father was killed. Amy sent me excerpts from old newspaper clippings that tell the story of the death. The clippings are quoted or summarized below.

Amy asks whether the George Francis McGough who was convicted of manslaughter in the death of her great-grandfather could be the George "Paddy" McGough who was a member of the deck crew of the Titanic when it sank on April 14, 1912. When signing aboard the respective ships, both gave their original home as Duncannon. The George McGough on the Rustington, however, gave his age in 1900 as 27. The George McGough who signed on the Titanic gave his age in 1912 as 25. Some records give his middle initial as M, although most sources do not use a middle initial and the accuracy of the M is doubtful.

In the Public Records Office at Kew and in the Ellis Island records, I found only one McGough seaman who was born in Duncannon: George Francis McGough, who was born in Duncannon, Ireland, on February 12, 1873 (or July 14, 1875, if you choose to accept the date at Kew). A manifest of the Lapland, a ship that arrived in New York from Southampton on January 15, 1920, shows the birth date of seaman George McGough as February 12, 1873, at Duncannon, and his permanent address as 15 St. George Street, Southampton. The concurrence of the place of birth and address on St. George Street in Southampton leads me to conclude that this is the George McGough who was an able-bodied seaman on the Titanic when it sank, and the George Francis McGough who killed John Dwyer in 1900.

I have now checked the Public Records Office at Kew and the Ellis Island website, and have accumulated more information. I now regard it as certain that the same George Francis McGough was the seaman on the Rustington in 1900 and on the Titanic in 1912. See also two articles in Encyclopedia Ttitanica by Senan Molony (ET Research) of Dublin: McGough the Key? and McGough the Killer. In the latter article, Molony uses this article and additional research of his own to confirm that the two George McGoughs are the same person. He includes two photographs of George Francis McGough. To support this conclusion, refer to the results of my combing records for British seamen, reported on my web page: McGough Seamen—Ellis Island.

George "Paddy" McGough, Able-bodied Seaman on the Titanic

The typed copy of the sign-on sheet, usually used in the United States, for the crew of the Titanic in Southampton shows, as #58, a J. McGough, age 25, British, born in Duncannon [county Wexford, Ireland], signed on at Southampton, England, on April 6, 1912. He gave as his permanent address "St. Geo. St." No city was directly referred to, but the city is probably Southampton where he signed on. The capacity in which he was engaged was "A.B.", able-bodied seaman. His last ship was the Hermione. The sign-on sheet is typewritten, which means it was probably copied from handwritten notes made as the seamen were interviewed. (To find the typewritten sign-on sheet, go to Encyclopedia Titanica; under Crew Lists and Biographies, click on Signing On Sheets; go to #58 among the Southampton crew, deck department.)

The original sign-in sheet, available in England, shows that George McGough actually signed in as G. McGough and the J. McGough on the typed copy is an error. Senan Moloney's two articles cited above, McGough the Key? and McGough the Killer, demostrate this conclusively.

There is a Duncannon in county Wexford, Ireland. Griffith's Valuation of 1853 for county Wexford shows only one McGough in the county, Mary McGough. She lived, coincidentally, in the town of Duncannon. See McGoughs, McGeoughs, and McGeoghs in Ireland in the 1820–30s and 1850–60s: By County, Parish, and Townland, line 522.

George McGough, the member of the deck crew of the Titanic, survived the sinking and was later identified as George "Paddy" McGough. The name may have been taken from an article in the New York Evening World for April 20, 1912, set out in a 1999 internet essay by Bill Wormstedt: Shots in the Dark—Did an Officer Commit Suicide on the Titanic in the Last Stages of the Sinking? The validity of this story has been challenged. See: Sinking of the Titanic—James McGough Mans a Lifeboat on this website.

Able-bodied seaman George McGough is identified as "Paddy" McGough in Titanic: The Lifeboat Launching Sequence Re-Examined by Bill Wormstedt, Tad Fitch and George Behe on Bill Wormstedt's excellent Titanic website:

"Preliminaries Which Affect the Overall Launch Sequence and Timings

"Before we try to put all of the above paired launch sequences together and assign specific launch times to each of Titanic's lifeboats, four 'preliminary' subjects must be discussed which relate to the timing of certain events: (1) Able Seaman McGough, (2) the distress rockets and Quartermaster Rowe, (3) the launch time of the first lifeboat, and (4) the Titanic's list as it slowly shifted from starboard to port.

"(1) Able Seaman George McGough.

"We know from Scarrott's testimony that Seaman George McGough manned the aft set of davits during the lowering of lifeboat #14PM-1. We also know from Haines' testimony that Seaman McGough left the Titanic in lifeboat #9PM-2. Both specifically mention him by name. It was a secretary at the inquiry who incorrectly spelled his name McGow, not Haines himself. Scarrott, Haines, and McGough were all members of the same starboard-watch deck crew under Fourth Officer Boxhall, and therefore would have been very familiar with each other. (McGough's first name is incorrectly listed as James in the US Senate crew list).

"It has been suggested that Haines never specifically testified that Seaman McGough and Seaman Peters left the ship in #9. This is meant to imply that when Haines mentioned McGough and Peters, he really meant that they lowered #9 rather than departed in it. However, a few questions after Haines named these two seamen, he was asked how many men were rescued in #9. He refers to 'the two sailors' with no further clarification. This suggests that he was referring to the same two men, since no other sailors were mentioned in the 7 questions between the responsesPM-3.

"Fireman George Kemish, in a letter written to Walter Lord in 1955, provided independent corroboration that McGough left the ship in #9 and described some of his actions in the lifeboat. Kemish said he was not sure if his boat was #9 or #11, but all of the evidence taken together suggests #9.

"Additional evidence that McGough left in #9 comes from Second Class passenger Bertha Watt, who was rescued in a lifeboat along with a minister. This minister was Second Class passenger Reverend Sidney Collett, who took the lifeboat numeral from the boat he was in as a souvenir, proving he was in #9. In 1917, Watt wrote in the Jefferson High School paper that the man at the tiller was an Irishman, and that 'Paddy had no authority, he was just a deckhand' PM-4. Watt again mentioned 'Paddy' being in her lifeboat in a private letter, and stated that he was in charge and at the stern of the boatPM-5. There is little doubt who she was referring to. Not only did Fireman Kemish refer to the sailor who took charge of the boat (meaning at the tiller) as 'a deck hand named Paddy McGough', but McGough himself gave several press interviews where he is referred to as 'Paddy' McGoughPM-6.

"With his presence in #9 well established, Seaman McGough will therefore serve as an excellent reference point that will enable us to correlate events that took place on opposite sides of the ship. Whatever else might have happened during the evacuation, we know that boat #14 left the port Boat Deck before boat #9 left the starboard Boat Deck. (This simple fact will have a major impact on the long accepted version of the specific times at which Titanic's lifeboats were launched.)"

Twelve years earlier, in 1900, George Francis McGough, age 27, had signed on as an able-bodied seaman on the Rustington at Barry Dock, the shipping port for Cardiff, Wales. McGough signed in as George McGough in a neat hand, and used no middle initial. Barry Dock is a relatively short distance from Southampton. He showed his home address as "Duncannon," with no designation of country. This George McGough was described, in newspaper articles of 1900, as a native of Duncannon, Scotland, age 27. The age does not match the age of 25 recorded for the "G. McGough" who signed onto the Titanic twelve years later. Both of these McGoughs listed their place of birth as Duncannon. I have not been able to find a Duncannon, Scotland, and the newspaper clipping set out below probably mistakenly said Scotland when it should have said Ireland. One of the newspaper articles below describes the seaman aboard the Rustington as "George Francis McGough of Liverpool."

G. McGough, a crew man, was subpoenaed and stood by for several days as a potential witness at the British Insuiry into the sinking of the Titanic. He was not called as a witness, but was compensated £10 6s. for travelling and subsistence, the highest amount paid any able-bodied seaman who did not testify. See: British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry— Return of Expenses List: Expenses Paid by the Board of Trade. The fact he was not called as a witness might be explained by his twelve-year old conviction of manslaughter on the high seas.

George Francis McGough, Able-bodied Seaman on the Rustington

Amy Murphy-DeMeo obtained copies of the crew agreements for the voyage of the Rustington from the Maritime Museum in Canada. She tells me that the information next to George McGough's name (signature) is as follows:

Age: 27
Nationality: Duncannon
Port of engagement address: McCann
Home address: Duncannon
Ship last served: Sallarback (or Sallarboch), Dublin (???)
Year of discharge from ship: 1900
Date & place of signing this agreement: Jan 23, 1900, Barry
Capacity: Able bodied seaman
Amount of wages: £4.10 (per calendar month)
Date of discharge: March 12, 1900
Place of discharge: Santos
Cause of leaving the ship: Under arrest

She also comments that the museum staff

" ... said that there were no log books (though there is one mentioned in the papers). The papers were stamped July 23, 1900. It looks to me like they filled these papers out quickly in some areas at the last minute before returning because it's not all complete. The entries under the port of engagement and home address are a little screwy ... some have home addresses under the port, and some are reversed, and some are empty. Not sure if the 'McCann' listed for George was a port. ??? [My guess is that it is the name of the proprietor of a boarding house in Barry.] The name of the ship was Rustington with a 't', not Ruslington as the news articles said. There's nothing that states George McGough was from Scotland. I'm sure you're correct that the reporter got it wrong."

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878–1960 on Ancestry.com indicates the arrival of George McGough, age 26, a fireman, at Southampton from Santos on April 10, 1900, aboard the Magdalena. See my page: Irish Immigrants, 1892–1900.

Newspaper Reports of Manslaughter on the High Seas

The Barry Dock News of Friday, April 13, 1900 reported:

Alleged Murder of a Barry

Boarding House-Keeper.

—————

Thrown Down the Forehold

at Santos.

—————

By a Shipmate Also Well-

Known At Barry.

—————

Murderer to be Brought Back

To England For Trial.

Information has just reached Barry of the alleged murder of a man
belonging to, and well-known in the town, and we are able to give
authoritative particulars of the tragic occurrence. The Steamer Ruslington*
belonging to Messrs. Ball, Symonson & Company, of 4, Fenchurch-avenue,
London, sailed from Barry Docks on the 25th of January last with a cargo of
coal for Santos, having previously shipped a crew at Barry. The master,
(Capt. John S. Swan**) had amongst his crew, two Barry men—one named
John Dwyer aged 39, of Thompson-street, Barry Docks, a well known
boarding-house keeper, whose name appeared on the ships articles as AB;
and the other named George McGough, aged 27, a native of Duncannon,
Scotland, also an AB; and well known at Barry boarding-houses. It appears,
from a letter written from Santos by the Chief Engineer of the Ruslington
(Edward C. Potts [Petts?]) on the 13th. March, and received by Mr. William
Dwyer, eldest son of John Dwyer, on Wednesday morning last at Barry
Docks, that on the previous Friday, March 9th, the two men, Dwyer and
McGough had some words on board and McGough, it is alleged, seized
Dwyer, and whether deliberately or not it is not yet known, threw him down
the forehold of the ship, Dwyer falling on his head, and death resulted shortly
afterwards. The terrible occurrence was witnessed by four members of the
crew, and these men, together with McGough, who was at once placed under
arrest, are now on their way home to England on board a Royal Mail steamer
and are expected to arrive in Southampton in a day or two when McGough
will be placed on his trial on a charge of "willful murder."

The deceased, John Dwyer, leaves a widow (Mrs. Mary Dwyer, who
keeps a seamen's boarding house in Thompson-street, Barry Docks,) and
seven children, the oldest of whom is only about 20 years of age.

Amongst the crew of the Ruslington is a brother-in-law of the deceased
man, named William Burnett, a donkey man, but he was too much upset by
the tragedy on board to write to his sister at Barry, and the chief engineer
kindly did so in his stead, directing the eldest son, William Dwyer to break the shocking intelligence to his mother as gently as possible.

*The correct name of the ship is the Rustington. See the Alphabetical Index to Ships Recorded in Documents at Glamorgan Record Office, Cardiff: Period 1825 to 1913 (approx), 108258 1906/2 DD PRO RBS C 8.

**J. S. Swan is listed for the year 1894, ship number 79383 [the Netley Abbey], at South Shields in the Index to Master Mariners in Cardiff Crew Agreements 1863 TO 1913.

—————

(Undated)

Accused before the Magistrates

George Francis McGough, seaman, was charged before the
Southampton magistrates on Wednesday with the murder of John Dwyer,
fireman on board the steamer Ruslington, from Barry at Santos, South
America, on March 10th. It was stated that prisoner and other members
of the crew had been ashore, got drunk and when he came on board he wanted to
fight everybody. He picked up Dwyer and threw him down the forehold, a
depth of 26 feet. The man died within a few minutes. After evidence of
arrest, the prisoner was remanded for 8 days.

—————

(Undated)

Committal of the accused for trial at the Assizes

At Southampton, Saturday last, George Francis McGough of Liverpool was committed for trial charged with feloniously killing John Dwyer by throwing or pushing him over the combings of the hatchways of the British ship "Ruslington" in Santos Harbour, last March. Dwyer was the husband of boarding house keeper Mary Dwyer, Thompson Street, Barry Docks and the deceased was well known in Barry.

—————

May 11, 1900.

Witnesses came to Barry to give evidence, Sunday last. George Barton, Walter Cruley (sailors) and Johann Lundberg, carpenter, Sweden.

—————

The Acting British Counsel in Santos certified that: "John Lundberg, Carpenter, Gustav Nolton (Nilson?), Boatswain, Walter Greeley AB& George Burton AB have been discharged & are by me retained here to be forwarded by first British (?) Steamer leaving this port to the United Kingdom to give witness in the case of the ... charge against George McGough ... "

The meager records of the criminal proceedings in the Public Record Office at Kew, contained mostly in a packet entitled "Commission day at Winchester Thursday 28th June 1900," show that these witnesses testified before the grand jury: Edgar William Tribe, Detective Sergeant; Walter Greeley, Johan Lundberg, George Burton, and Gustave Nillson. The charge is endorsed "True Bill. Hugh Wilkinson, Foreman." The indictment, to which the seal of to Clerk of Assize, Western Circuit, is affixed, reads:

"Southampton. The Jurors for our Lady the Queen, upon their oath present, That George Francis McGough, on the tenth Day of March in the year of our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred on the High Seas within the Jurisdiction of the Admiralty of England feloniously wilfully and of his malice aforethought did kill and murder John Dwyer Against the Peace of our said Lady the Queen, her Crown and Dignity. Read. Clerk of Assizes."

In the Crown Court Minute Book is this entry:

"Monday 2nd July 1900. Before the Honourable Mr. Justice Lawrence and some Justices—Puts guilty manslaughter only. 15 cal mos t h l George Francis McGough. Murder of John Dwyer on 10th March 1900 on the High Seas. Puts guilty unlawful wounding only."

On the indictment form itself, this entry is written at the top: "Puts Guilty Manslaughter only. 15 cal mos T h l."

The South Wales Echo of Tuesday, July 3, 1900, and the Barry Dock News of Friday, July 6, 1900, published articles, the texts of which are virtually identical:

Manslaughter on a Cardiff-Laden

Vessel.

———————

At Winchester Assizes on Monday Geo. Francis McGough was convicted of
manslaughter on the high seas, and sentenced to fifteen months hard labour.
While the Steamer Ruslington, from Cardiff, with coals, was at Santos on
March 10th, McGough who was intoxicated after being ashore, wanted to
fight, and fastened on Dwyer, whom he butted in the stomach, and, as alleged,
threw him over the hatchway into the hold, twenty feet deep, causing death. The defence was that the affair was accidental.

The article in the Barry Dock News of Friday, July 6, 1900, appeared under these headlines:

Crime on the High Seas

——————————————————————

Barry Man Convicted of Manslaughter

—————————————————

The Barry Herald of Friday, July 6, 1900, gave a briefer report of the same information.

For more information of Barry, South Wales, go to the web site of the Axis Historical Society. The site provides many interesting links to maritime web sites.

George McGough, a mariner, age 25, born in Ireland, single, is listed as an inmate of His Majesty's Prison at Winchester on March 31, 1901, in the 1901 census of St Faith Within in the Ecclesiatical parish of Christchurch, county of Hampshire (registration district of Winchester), England.

Report of the Axis Historical Society—Barry

Martin Adams, chairman and founder (in 1993) of the Axis Historical Society - Barry, South Wales, has created a web site that collects material on the history of Barry and that is well worth visiting.

With the encouragement of Amy DeMeo, Martin has taken an interest in this bit of Barry-related history. Here are some excerpts from his emails to Amy in December of 2001:

"McGough was brought back to Southampton on the Royal Mail Steamship Company ship Magdalena, based in Southampton, having been handed over to the Captain by the British Consul in Santos. ...

"The above vessel captain went by the name of Pope. Mcgough was handed over to his charge by the acting Consul of Santos, one Mr. H. Ouminins Hammil.

"A newspaper report I have here states that

'Detective Sergeant Tribe gave evidence as to going on board the Magdelena on her arrival at Southampton yesterday.'

"This would make the date 13.4.1900 as the original source is a copy of the report from the 'Hampshire Independent' Newspaper dated 14.4.1900.

"Tribe in this case is the police officer who officially charged Mcgough with your GGs murder also reading the prisoner his rights in accordance with English Law at this time.

"I can also suggest that Mcgough's first faced Southampton Borough Police Court. I have been reliably informed that the records for this police court for 1900 have not survived.

"However, there is an interesting statement which give rise to why McGough was held on remand. I can categorically state at this time that he was not released following the period of 8 days which I can confirm was requested by one Chief Constable Berey.

"From here I will go back to the day of the actual murder at Santos.

"There is an interesting statement made in this article of the same date which infers that that your GG body may still rest at a location in Santos. Following his fall into the hold the writer of the article has this to say.

'His companions at once went to him but found that he was bleeding from both ears and mouth. ...'

"Without seeing the medical documents I would suggest that your GG suffered a fractured skull.

"The writer of the article then continued

'... the unfortunate man who had been ill for some time died in a few minutes, and was buried the same day.' ...

"From a second article, this time from the 'Hampshire Independent' dated 7.7.1900, I am able to give you the outcome of this case. The evidence presented by this report when examined clearly points to the fact that McGough had not intentionally taken your GGs life. This report also indicates that McGough's case had moved up a level through the courts due to the serious nature of the charge.

"His case took place at what they then called 'The Hampshire Summer Assizes'. This would be a Crown Court. After hearing all the evidence the Judge, one Mr. Justice Lawrence instructed the jury as follows :

'... that there was no case of murder made out.'

"The defence it would appear had convinced the Judge that the killing was unintentional. In consequence the Jury found McGough guilty of the lesser charge of Manslaughter. As a result the Judge then sentenced McGough to 15 months imprisonment with hard labour.

"Also from the reports I now hold one can clearly see that on the day of the killing McGough was very drunk. Alternatively, you will be pleased to note that your GG was not. He had not drank any of the local brew at Santos, neither had he eaten as he had been ill the previous week. One report describes George Francis McGough as :

'....a diminutive but powerfully built Irishman.' ...

"I can already confirm that one Mr. Havelock Wilson M.P. of the Seaman's Union was called to the court and gave evidence of McGough's previous good character. It certainly gives rise to the old saying 'Its not what you know its who you know'. His statement is likely to have gone a long way in convincing the Judge that McGough had not deliberately set out to kill your GG."

Martin is continuing his effective research and would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Vicky Green (Local Studies) Southampton Central Library for her kind assistance in providing information upon which the above report is based.

A Later Conviction

On February 21, 2013, Phil Hind sent me a record of a later crime committed by George McGough. On October 13, 1910, George McGough was convicted of by a jury in Southampton Magistrate's court of assaulting Lilly Harper on August 2, 1910, and was sentenced to serve three months of hard labor. Here is a copy of the record:

Number: *7

Name, Age and Trade: George McGough (on bail), 35, mariner ... 15 months, Hunts Assizes, 28 June 1900 (manslaughter)

Degree of Education: 3

Name and Address of Committing Magistrate: C. J. Sharp, Esq. Southampton

Date of Warrant: 1910 8th Sept

When received into Custody: 1910 Surrendered 13 Oct., '10

Particulars of Offense or Offenses as charged in the Indictment: Unlawfully and indecently did assault and ill treat one Lily Harper, on the 2nd August, 1910.

Verdict of the Jury: Guilty

Particulars of Previous Convictions charged in the Indictment and proved in Court: ...

Sentence or Order of the Court: 3 calendar Months hard labour.

Arrivals of Seaman George McGough of Southampton at Ellis Island

The Ellis Island website, in entry 77 of 398 McGoughs, shows the arrival at the Port of New York of George McGough, a resident of Southampton, on January 15, 1920. His age is not given. He was a member of the ship's crew of the Lapland, which had departed with 2536 passengers from Antwerp, Belgium. The manifest of the Lapland lists George McGough, of British nationality, with passport number 127074 and seaman's identification number of 338024 issued by Britain, birth date of February 12, 1873, at Duncannon, engaged as an able-bodied seaman, 5' 6" in height, 150 pounds in weight, with a permanent address of 15 St. George Street, Southampton, who could read. The seaman's identification number corresponds with the registration certificate on file at Kew which shows the rating of George McGough as "Bos'n," his date and place of birth as July 4, 1875, Duncannon, Ireland. A boatswain or bosun, in a non-military setting, is sort of a super able-bodied seaman, capable of being foreman of a crew of able-bodied and apprentice seamen:

"Able Bodied Seamen - A member of the deck crew who is able to perform all the duties of an experienced seamen; certificated by examination; must have three years sea service. Also called Able Seamen and A.B. ...

"Boatswain - Also bosun, bos'n, bo's'n, and bo'sun, all of which are pronounced bosun. The highest unlicensed rating in the deck department who has immediate charge of all deck hands, oversees deck crew, maintenance and upkeep of the ship except for the engine room and galley areas."

On August 22, 1920, George McGough arrived as a member of the ship's crew of the Belgian ship Gothland from La Coruna, Spain. His age is not given. The ship's manifest gives his registration number as 338024. The right half of George McGough's registration line on the ship's manifest has been torn off, and no further data is available from that source.

On December 3, 1920, George McGough arrived in Seattle,Washington, as a member of the shps crew of the American steamship Steel Ranger from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was an able-bodied seaman who had signed aboard the ship in New York on July 10, 1920. The manifest notes under "nationality": "first papers, Ireland," and identifies him as NY 127074. His height is listed as 5'4". The ship was operated by the Lethenian Steamship Company. Seattle Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882–1957, on Ancestry.com.

On April 1, 1921, George McGough arrived as a member of the ship's crew of the American steamship Minnekahda. The last port of departure for the Minnekahda was Boston. His age at arrival is given as 46. The ship's manifest gives his birthplace as Ireland (1st papers), lists him as a citizen of England, his height as 5' 5", his complexion as light, his hair as dark, and his capacity on the boat as "Storekeeper."

On May 13, 1921, G. McGough, age 46, British, arrived in New York from Naples, Italy, aboard the Minnekahda. He was a member of the ship's crew, a storekeeper, #127074, who signed on in New York; Irish race, British nationality. 5' 5", 140 pounds.

On August 10, 1921, George McGough arrived as a member of the ship's crew of the Fort St. George. His age on arrival is given as 45. His residence is not given. His "ethnicity" is listed as "Irish-British." Port of departure of the ship was Halifax. The ship's manifest gives his passport number as 127074, says he signed aboard in New York City on July 29, 1921, gives his age as 45, his race as Irish, his nationality as British, his height as 5' 8", and his weight as 150 pounds.

On April 24, 1922, George McGeogh arrived as a member of the ship's crew of the Oropesa, which had departed from Southampton. His age on arrival is 45. His "ethnicity" is listed as "Irish. British." The ship's manifest says he signed on at Southampton, that he was 45, of the Irish race with British nationality, 5' 4", 148 pounds, with a "scar on cheek." This is the only time I noted an entry in the "physical marks or peculiarities" column for George McGough.

The name of George McGough (indexed on the Ellis Island site as George McGouch), age 50, Irish, British, able-bodied seaman, 5' 4", 140 pounds, is crossed out on the crew's manifest of the Corbis, which arrived in New York from Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on November 19, 1924. The note on the manifest says: "Deserted, Lisbon, October 19, 1924."

This George McGough was born on February 12, 1873 (or July 4, 1875, if the date on the ID certificate on file at Kew is accepted). The George McGough who committed manslaughter on the Rustington in 1900 signed onto that ship as age 27 on January 23, 1900, making his probable birth year 1872 or 1873. These ages are close enough to make it likely that the George McGough whose arrivals are shown in New York in 1920 through 1922 is the George McGough who was aboard the Rustington in 1900. The ages given on these latter voyages are more consistent with a birth date in 1875, however. The place of birth at Duncannon, and permanent address on St. George Street in Southampton, also make it likely that this same George McGough was a crewman aboard the Titanic in 1912.

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