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:

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

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

Travelling Companions
Miss Ellen Mary Toomey Cabin Companion
Mrs Rosa Pinsky Cabin Companion