Lizzie Doyle

Miss Mary Eliza (Lizzie) Doyle was born in Bree, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Ireland on 2 October 1882.

She was the daughter of Martin Doyle (b. circa 1851), a farmer (although sometimes described as a shoemaker), and Kate Cogly (b. circa 1848), who had married on 5 February 1875 at the Roman Catholic Chapel of Davidstown in Enniscorthy, Ireland. She had four known siblings: Robert (19 January 1876-1888), James (born 11 May 1877), Margaret (born 3 January 1879), and Jeremiah (born 15 March 1885).

Her mother died on 26 March 1887 from heart disease; she was aged 39; Martin, her widower, never remarried.

In 1901, the Doyle family lived at house 15 in Bree, Wexford: Martin, 46, a widowed farmer, and siblings James, 23, a coachman in domestic service, Margaret, 22, and Jeremiah, 16, a postman. Elizabeth was 17 and had no particular occupation, like her sister Margaret. They were all able to read and write and belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. They were not proficient in the Irish language, i. e. they spoke only English.   

Lizzie left Liverpool, England on 20 October 1909 as a second cabin passenger on the steamer Friesland, she was listed as an unmarried domestic (servant) aged 23. She was able to read and write. She was bound for 1244 Snyder Avenue, Philadelphia, which was the home of one Parick O'Brien. She was 5'3'' tall, and had brown hair and brown eyes. The ship arrived in the port of Philadelphia on 1 November 1909.

She then lived for about a year and a half at 1244 Snyder Avenue in Philadelphia, but returned home around June 1911 to be with her dying father who had been battling severe asthma for several months; the return was timely and she spent a few precious weeks with him before he died aged 60 on 5 July 1911.  At the time the family were living at house 8 in Bree. 

For her return to the USA Lizzie would be travelling to Chicago, Illinois with her cousin Robert Mernagh, a native of New Ross, Co Wexford, who had also previously spent time in the USA.  The White Star Line listed her brother Jeremiah Doyle (a postman), Bree, Enniscorthy, County Wexford as her next of kin; no USA address was listed, however. 

She boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as a third-class passenger (ticket number 368702, £7, 15s).

Lizzie Doyle died in the disaster and her body, if recovered, was never identified.

Her estate, valued at a meagre £10, was administered to her brother Jeremiah, on 10 April 1913. Jeremiah remained in Bree where he died on 23 September 1963 aged 78.

Her brother and sister received £15 from the Titanic Relief Fund.

Eliza is remembered on the family headstone in St. David's church cemetery, Davdstown, Co Wexford, Ireland.