Mrs Elizabeth "Bessie" Inglis Watt (née Milne)

 

Mrs James Watt (Elizabeth "Bessie" Inglis Milne), 40, and her daughter Bertha came from Aberdeen, Scotland. Mrs Watt had lived there for many years with her uncle, Mr Shanks who managed a Blind Asylum on Huntley Street. When Mr Shanks and his other relatives moved to Inverness Bessie joined them but after her marriage to Mr Watt the couple made their home back in Aberdeen. Whilst resident there, they became active members of the Belmont Congregational Church.

Mr Watt preceded them to Portland, Oregon. Mrs Watt and Bertha boarded the Titanic at Southampton (ticket number C.A. 33595, £15, 15s).

Mrs Watt wrote a letter from the Titanic on April 10th, the letter was posted at Queenstown and later published in the Portland Oregonian, 24th April 1912:

'W.S.L. Titanic Wednesday, April 10th, 7.05 p.m. At last you will see we have started to cross the Atlantic. We have just taken on passengers at Cherbourg (France) and tomorrow we go to Queenstown (Ireland). Oh dear. The style is awful. It seems it is not a fast boat, it is built for comfort, not speed, and they say we won't be in till Wednesday night (the 17th). There are two other ladies in our stateroom, but it is nice and big; two wardrobes in one, with a large mirror door and four drawers, two wash basins, besides the lavatory and bathroom.'

Mrs Watt was in bed but unable to sleep when she felt a tremendous bump and the engines stop. She threw on a night gown and ran out of her cabin and up the stairs, crew that she questioned told her there was nothing to worry about but unconvinced she went onto deck, there she met a man from Edinburgh who informed her that the ship had hit an iceberg.

Mrs Watt returned to her cabin to fetch a heavy coat and then went back on deck this time with Miss Marion Wright with whom she shared a cabin.

Mrs Watt, Bertha and Miss wright were rescued in lifeboat 9.

Bessie later recalled how how Bertha had gone off her food with the shock. She told how they had to sleep in the sailors quarters and how she had made Bertha a skirt from one of the blankets given to them by the crew of the Carpathia.

Sources
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279]).

Acknowledgements
Melissa McClone, USA

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Summary
Born: 1872
Age: 40 years
Last Residence: in Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Scotland
2nd Class passenger
First Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 33595 , £15 15s
Destination: Portland Oregon United States
Rescued (boat 9)
Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
Died: Tuesday 18th December 1951

Travelling Companions (on same ticket)
Miss Robertha Josephine "Bertha" Watt

Travelling Companions
.htmlMrs Rosa Pinsky Cabin Companion
.htmlMiss Ellen Mary Toomey Cabin Companion

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