Lloyd Magruder Read
Lloyd Magruder Read, 1872-1941
Lloyd Magruder's grandson, Lloyd Magruder Read, son of Sally Magruder and James Peter Read, was the father of Julia Read O'Hara.
Early life
Lloyd's father was a date rancher in Thermal, San Bernardino County, California. Lloyd's mother died when he was twelve, and Lloyd was sent to live with another rancher, working there when not in school. He went away to sea at sixteen. Over the next two decades he sailed, returned to ranching with his father, prospected for gold, returned to sea, and eventually studied for and received British licensure as a first mate. He ranched again for a time after marrying, but finally returned to sea.
Ship's master
Lloyd became a ship's master in 1920, and in 1925 took command of the American-Hawaiian Line's Ohioan. In the early morning hours of October 7, 1936, in a fog, the Ohioan ran aground just outside the Golden Gate. The ship was lost, but there was no loss of life. Although my grandfather was cleared of blame for the accident, the loss of his ship seems to have broken him. His license was restored in 1940, but he suffered a fatal heart attack in 1941. Here is a link to a photo of the grounded ship, of which some remnants can still be seen from Land's End at low tide. There are more photos at the Cliff House Project.
