Master Henry Ison
Dunrobin, Mercantile Marine
Died at sea
Date of Birth: 1863
Place of Birth: Teignmouth, Devon
Date of Death: 24 November 1917 aged 54
Buried: Remembered on Tower Hill Memorial, London; and Seafront Memorial, Teignmouth, Devon
Awarded the Mercantile Marine Medal and the British War Medal
Shipmaster Henry Ison (known as (Harry) aged 54. Born in 1863 and baptised on 5 April, the son of Henry, a tailor, and Catherine Ison, East Teignmouth, Devon.
In 1871 Harry was living with his family at Regent Place, and by 1881 his mother was widowed and carrying on the tailoring business with the help of her daughters.
Harry went to sea when he was 15 and ended up living in Falkirk, Scotland.
The 1901 census shows him living with his wife Ellen Ann Ison née Brook (born c. 1864), his 11-year-old son Henry B. Ison and his 19-year-old niece Nora Cross. They were all born in Teignmouth.
His son Henry served with the Army in France in WW1.
Harry was Master of SS Dunrobin, a 3,617grt defensively-armed British Merchant ship.
SS Dunrobbin
![German submarine SM U 53. International Film Service, Inc. [Public domain]](/images/the-fallen/ison-h-German_submarine_SM_U-53.jpg)
German submarine SM U 53. International Film Service, Inc. [Public domain]
The Dunrobin was on route from Almeria for the Tyne with a cargo of iron ore and grapes when she was torpedoed by German submarine U-53.
She sunk 49 miles SW by S ½ S from the Lizard, Cornwall.
31 lives were lost on 24 November 1917.
Remembered on Tower Hill Memorial, London; and Seafront Memorial, Teignmouth.
