Miss Elsie Doling was born at Oriental Place in Southampton, Hampshire. England on 30 November 1893.1
She was the daughter of John Doling (1855-1941), a Temperance hotel proprietor, and the former Augusta Lucretia Parker (1856-1923), Hampshire natives who were married in 1876.
One of a dozen known2 children, Elsie’s siblings were: John Thomas (1877-1938), Mary Elizabeth (1878-1979), Percy (1880-1961), Verna Augusta (1881-1967), Edward Charles (b. 1884), Alfred Ernest (1885-1886), Ethel Florence (b. 1887), Violet (1889-1890), Gladys (1896-1897), Harold Victor (1897-1976) and Lillian Alexandra (1901-1902). By 1911 the family lived at Spring Bank, The Crescent in Shirley.
Elsie’s eldest brother John, then manager of the Atlantic Hotel at 151 Albert Road in Southampton, was married to the former Ada Julia Elizabeth Bone; several of Ada’s siblings, including her mother, had migrated to New York in the previous decade and Mrs Doling had planned a trip to visit them. It was decided that Elsie would accompany her sister-in-law to New York, so the pair secured second-class passage aboard the Titanic (joint ticket number 231919 which cost £23). It has been speculated that Ada and Elsie were travelling with music dealer Henry Price Hodges.
When the Titanic docked at Queenstown, Elsie, Ada and an unidentified male passenger3 were photographed on the aft-promenade deck. The photograph was printed in newspapers after the disaster.
Saved From The Titanic
The sinking of the great ship, the Titanic, on Monday, has caused grave apprehensions to George Bone, of the Graves estate. Mr. Bone’s sister, Mrs. Ada Doling, and his sister-in-law, Miss Elsie Doling, had taken passage with the Intention of spending a few weeks with him inn this country. From the published accounts of the survivors on the Carpathia the names of Doling appears, and there is no doubt that both of the women were saved from a watery grave. — The Irvington Gazette, 19 April 1912
Ada and Elsie Doling were rescued from the sinking, but in which lifeboat they departed remains unknown. Aboard the Carpathia, Mrs Doling attempted to send a telegram to Southampton, but it was not transmitted because of the operators' workload.
Express, Southampton, England Ada Elsie safe
Joining their relatives in New York and following a brief visit, Elsie and Ada returned to England aboard the Philadelphia on 11 May 1912 to be reunited with their family.
In the following years, Elsie’s path crossed with that of Anglo-Indian physician and WWI Royal Navy veteran William St Alban Hendricks (b. 29 October 1887, possibly in Bombay), who was in the UK advancing his studies at the time. The couple fell in love, and Elsie returned with Hendricks to India, eventually being married in Bombay (modern-day Mumbai) on 6 November 1920.
Dr Hendricks (later MBE) worked as a physician in Gangtok, Kingdom of Sikkim, in the foothills of the Himalayas in what is now north-eastern India’s Sikkim State. He and Elsie welcomed four children: William John (1922-2006), Gerald St Alban (1924-2018), Clara (1927-2002) and Elizabeth Mary (b. 1933). The family made numerous trips back to Britain, where, in December 1924, their second child Gerald was born.
In 1949 Elsie and her family resettled in England permanently, with Dr Hendricks becoming a general practitioner in Bitterne, Southampton.
Elsie Doling Hendricks reportedly discussed the Titanic only very rarely. Made a widow upon the death of her husband in 1966, Elsie spent her final years living with her daughter Clara in Lockerley, a village near Romsey in Hampshire, where she died on 3 March 1972 aged 78.
She is buried in the grounds of St John’s Church in Lockerley. As of 2019, her youngest child Elizabeth was still alive.
Comment and discuss
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Ada Doling was my grandfather's sister. We always thought that Elsie was her daughter but your site lists them as sister-in-laws. My grandfather died before I was born so we don't have any other information on Ada, except that I do have a picture of Mrs. Doling, Ada, Reggie, Willie, and Ida, but with no date on it. Does anyone have any other particulars on the family?
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It was 1965 and I was at my grandmothers house and we were watching ANTR. She told me her friend "Elsie" was on the Titanic. Does anyone know what happened to Elsie Doling after the sinking? Is this the Elsie she was talking about?
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Hello Don! I would love to know your grandmothers name and the exact whereabouts of her place of residences during that period of time? Elsie Doling "later Hendricks" is actually buried in St Marys Cemetery in my home town of Romsey, Hampshire, United Kingdom. Hope this gives you a clue and answers your question! Andrew W.
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Hello Andrew! Thank you for the response. I finally did a little research and found that Elsie did return to her native U.K. In answer to your question my grandmothers name was Elvira Tweed. She lived in Des Moines,Ia on Watson St. in S.W. Des Moines. She was born in 1906 and passed away in 1979. I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure she said her friends name was Elsie and she was pretty adament about her being on the Titanic. Take care, Don
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Hello Don! I would strongly advise to dig deep into your pocket and invest your menoy in one of Brian Ticehurst's Papers, which deals mainly with a lot of Memorial's World-wide. Number six in the occasionals papers:- Titanic's Memorials World-wide, Where they are Located by Brian Ticehurst, at a price of £4-50p Pound Sterling. If you need to obtain his home address and e-mail Don, then send me a private message and I shall forward you the details. Best wishes Andrew W.
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I could be wrong about the name Elsie Doling. Just read where she sailed back to England after the tragedy. My grandma was not the type of lady to pull my leg and so I did alittle more research and came up with the name Anna Sofia Nysten. A 3rd class passenger who survived the sinking. She later married a Mr. Gustaffson and lived and died in Des Moines. Grandma,Grandpa,and my mother are all deceased, and my father recently had a stroke, so I have no family to confirm this with! Does anyone have any info on Anna Sofia Nysten? - Don
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Don, Im sorry to hear about your family, It must be hard. I hope you find the information you are looking for. Sincerily, Andrew Maheux
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hi everybody After Miss Doling survived the Titanic she returned to England. There she married a Mr. Hendricks(?). Did Elsie have any children? thanks Gianni
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I see there are several questions regarding Elsie Doling (later Hendricks). I am Elsie Hendricks' granddaughter and would like to correct some information published on this forum and add to it. Elsie Hendricks (nee Doling) is NOT buried in St Mary's Cemetery, Romsey. She is buried in the graveyard at St. John's church, Lockerley, Hampshire, the village in which she spent her final happy years with her daughter, Clara, and myself. Clara was a school teacher in Romsey and as an adult, I lived there for some years.
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Hi Gianni (Yassas), I've just seen your post. I'm Elsie Hendricks' (nee Doling) granddaughter and in answer to your question, Elsie Doling married an Anglo-Indian doctor, Dr William Hendricks. I believe he was living in the UK, furthering his studies, when they met. They went to India, where he worked as doctor in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the Gangtok region. They returned to the UK several times, before returning permanently and William Hendricks started a practice as a GP in Southampton. They had had four children, John, Clara, Gerald and Elizabeth. I am Clara's daughter. Elizabeth is now the only surviving child of William and Elsie, but there are 12 grandchildren, of which I am one, and numerous great-grandchildren.
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Hi Sue, I hope you're well. I am currently researching my family tree in order to identify my Mum's Paternal Grandfather and found your post. My Mum's father was born in Shirley, Southampton as a illegitimate child and he never mentioned his father (I'm not sure he knew him). Our research and DNA results all point to my Mum's Paternal Grandfather being one of Elsie's four brothers: John, Percy, Edward or Harold (the latter being most likely). My mother has a strong DNA match with two of Gerald's son's and one of Verna Augusta Doling's grandchildren. She has also matched with Edward Doling's Great Granddaughter and John Doling's 3x Great Granddaughter in addition to a few more which are difficult to explain without revealing personal details. If you are willing I would love to get in touch and share contact details, I will drop you a PM with my details. All the best Hue
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