Ellen Blanche Gregory, always known as Blanche, was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, on or around the 7th August 1869, the daughter of George and Ellen Gregory (née Byford). Her father was involved in the clothing trade, and the family home was initially at 21. Smollett Street, West Derby, Liverpool. The family later moved to Bedford Street and Canning Street, before moving across the River Mersey to 62, Clarendon Road, Wallasey, Cheshire, and also of 71. Manor Road, Liscard, Cheshire. Blanche was one of eight children.
Nothing much is known her childhood or teenage years, but eventually she found employment in a confectionary shop, and then set up her own business dealing in sweets.
On the 25th September 1913, Blanche disembarked at Quebec, Canada, having boarded the
Corsican at Liverpool, and made her way to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she married Adam Chalmers on the 1st October. The couple established their home at 384 Truro Street, St. James, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Adam Chalmers had been born in Scotland, but when he was still a child, his family had moved to Liverpool. He married a woman named Annie, and in 1906, the couple immigrated to Sturgeon Creek, St. James, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sometime in 1911 or 1912, Annie Chalmers died, and Adam Chalmers returned to England in January 1913, presumably to visit his own family, and the family of his late wife, before returning to Winnipeg in April. Either Blanche met him during this period, or perhaps she had known him prior to his emigration to Canada in 1906, but it would seem likely that during his visit, they became engaged to be married.
In the spring of 1915, Blanche Chalmers decided to return to Wallasey to see her parents and consequently booked second cabin passage on the
Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. Leaving St. James by rail at the end of April 1915, she joined the liner at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May and would have had her last sight of the United States of America as the liner commenced her delayed sailing in the early afternoon. The delay was caused because she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Liner S.S,
Cameronia, which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for service as a troop ship at the end of April.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, Blanche Chalmers was killed after the liner was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20, off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from the safety of her Liverpool home port. Mrs. Chalmers was aged 45 years.
Her body was not recovered from the sea until ten days after the sinking, and having been landed at Queenstown it was taken to one of the temporary mortuaries set up there, where it was given the reference number 215 and described as: -
Mrs. Blanche Chalmers, S/C.
Property. 1 Wedding ring 18ct, marked Knight inside, 2 diamond rings 18ct. gold, 1 18ct. gold ring with five pearls, large one in the centre, 1 18ct. gold ring with 1 diamond, 1 ruby and 1 sapphire, 1 pendant brooch with two amethysts, 1 pendant with 1 amethyst, 1 ruby and pearls, 1 brooch with 1 opal and six diamonds, 1 gold watch, 1 gold chain, 1 gold necklace with two, opal pendants and locket containing photo of lady and gentleman, draft Imperial Bank of Canada for £24 in the name of Blanche Chalmers, 2 receipts, 1 for £27 and 1 for £25 in the name of Mr. Chalmers, 3/- in a purse, 9/3 in silver in another purse, coppers 2d. 1 gold bracelet with blue stones and locket with 1 blue stone in centre and turquoises, 1 circular brooch with blue stones and pearls, 1 gold bracelet marked R.D. 285541, 1 safety pin with stone, 1 tie pin ruby in centre with ring of pearls - paste. 1 bogwood pig with green eyes, P.S watch engraved “E.B.G.” on back, 1 gold necklet with chain very small links.
Then, on 20th May 1915 Blanch Chalmers’ body was put on the Cork to Liverpool steamer and it arrived at Messrs. McKenna & Co., Funeral Directors, of Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 21st May, for burial.
This took place at Rake Lane Cemetery, Wallasey, on 22nd May 1915 and her body lies there today in Church of England Section 4C. The grave also contains the bodies of her mother, who had died in July 1909, aged 65 years and her father, who died in December 1926 aged 82 years. The headstone is made of yellow sandstone which has unfortunately broken away on the inscription which applies to Mrs. Chalmers and shows only her name and her relationship to her parents.
The property found on her body, which probably aided its identification, was sent to Canada on the Cunarder S.S.
Carpathia on 17th July 1915 and was handed over to her husband at Cunard's Winnipeg office, on 10th August.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Liverpool England Church of England Baptisms 1813 – 1917, 1871 Census of England & Wales, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv. PR13/6, UniLiv.D92/1/8-11, UniLiv D92/2/141, Wallasey & Wirral Chronicle, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.