Leading Seaman James McKean, Royal Fleet Reserve , son of James and Mary Ann McKean (née Anderson), was born in Belfast on the 13th of March 1884. His father was  constable in the RIC. He lived at 24 Canning Street Belfast.

James was a plumber’s assistant when he joined the Royal Navy in April 1900. He had signed on for C.S. (Continuous Service) for 12 years, but his ‘time’ did not start until his 18th birthday, which was 13th of March 1902. 

His rank was Boy 2nd Class graduating to Boy 1st Class in February 1901. When the census was taken in 1901 he was on HMS Caledonia a boys’ training/school ship moored at Queensferry in the Firth of Forth. The training ship accommodated 190 Officers and men as well as 800 boys. Instruction covered boat pulling, sailing & gunnery. There followed two more training ships the HMS Minotaur and HMS Agincourt.

His fourth ship was HMS Formidable, commissioned at Portsmouth on 10 October for service in the mediterranean Fleet. On the 13th of March 1902, having reached his 18th birthday, he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman. He became Able Seaman in March 1903 and continued to serve on HMS Formidable till January 1904. He was promoted to Leading Seaman on the 27th of January 1908 while serving on HMS Aboukir, a Cressy-class armoured cruiser, also assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. At the time of the 1911 census he was on the HMS Monmouth, part of the China Squadron, stationed in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

April – May 1912 James was stationed on  HMS Europa, part of the 3rd Fleet. He was then assigned to HMS Defiance (Torpedo School) at Devonport Sept 1912 – Nov 1913.

The last ship he served on before finishing his service with the Royal Navy was HMS Colossus. Its first assignments were as part of the 2nd Battle Squadron (Home Fleet). When he had served his time in March 1914 James immediately joined the Royal Naval Reserve. James didn’t join the crew of the Laurentic till the ship’s final voyage in January 1917.

James McKean’s body was never recovered.

Sources:-
National Archives  – Royal Naval Service Records
The British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
http://www.irishgenealogy.ie
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland