Annie Moffat Dick was born in Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1891, the daughter of Alexander and Jane “Jeanie” Clement Dick (née Agnew). The family home was at The Thistle and Rose Hotel, in Stevenston, of which her father was the licensee.
On the 6th July 1912, Annie boarded the Cameronia at Glasgow, and disembarked at New York harbour eight days later. From there she travelled to Milford Centre, Ohio, where one of her married sisters lived. She quickly found employment as a domestic servant with the Myers family in Ashland, Ohio. This family were a very wealthy and influential family involved, among other things, with the manufacture of farm machinery and water pumps.
In the spring of 1915, however; perhaps because of the war in Europe, she decided to return home to Ayrshire and as a result, she joined the
Lusitania at her berth, at Pier 54 in New York harbour as a third class passenger, on the morning of 1st May 1915.
The liner left the harbour just after midday, and just six days later, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination, she was torpedoed and sunk, with great loss of life. Annie Dick was one of those lost and as her body was never recovered and identified afterwards, she has no known grave. She was aged 24 years.
After he heard of the sinking, her father Alexander travelled to Liverpool, to meet the survivors arriving there, in the hope of seeing his daughter, or hearing any news concerning her fate. Unfortunately, his journey was in vain!
On 21st May 1915, the Cunard office at Queenstown received a letter from New York which gave a description of the young lady. It stated: -
Height 5’ 3” auburn hair, false front teeth, blue or grey skirt.
Home address Alexander Dick,
Stevenston, Ayrshire,
Scotland.
Had chain, many bags marked Sherick Jeweller, Ashland. Clothing marked Home Co. Ashland.
As we have already seen, however, this description did not help as no body recovered matched this description.
She is remembered on the family gravestone at Stevenston cemetery.
1891 Scotland Census, 1901 Scotland Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald, Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/18, UniLiv. PR13/6, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.