Ellen Mary Elizabeth “Nellie” Rickwood was born in Tynemouth, Northumberland, England, on the 26th August 1891, the daughter, and one of five children of Henry and Jane Louisa Rickwood (née Moore). At the time of her birth, her father was a professional soldier serving with the Royal Artillery, and the family resided at 7. Well Yard, Percy Street, Tynemouth. They later moved to 14. North Terrace, Seaham Harbour, County Durham, and then to 21. Armstrong Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On leaving school, Nellie became a ledger clerk at a local engine works.
At some stage during her young life, she met Andrew Thompson Burdon, an accountant from South Shields, County Durham, and the couple became engaged to be married. In September 1911, Andrew Burdon immigrated to Canada and settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he secured employment as an accountant and found a residence. Once established, he sent for Nellie, and she arrived in Montreal, Quebec on board the
Tunisian on the 18th August 1912. From there she travelled to Winnipeg, where she and Andrew married on the 21st August 1912.
On the 10th February 1914, their first child, a son they named Robert Potts Burdon, was born in Winnipeg. The family home was at 647. Sherbrooke Street, Winnipeg.
In the spring of 1915, the family decided to return home to England for a holiday, and to introduce little Robert to their relatives. Consequently, they left Winnipeg sometime in April and arrived at the Cunard berth, Pier 54 in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915 to join the Lusitania as second cabin passengers. For some reason, Andrew Burdon then decided to take another sailing to England and having boarded, Nellie and Robert had to wait until the early afternoon before the liner actually left the port. This was because she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the Anchor Lines vessel Anchor Lines vessel the
S.S. Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship, at the end of April.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of The Old Head of Kinsale on the coast of southern Ireland, the
Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that time, she was only about 250 miles away from her Liverpool destination.
Both Ellen Burdon and her son survived the sinking by managing to get into one the few lifeboats which were successfully launched, and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, they eventually continued their journey to England, staying with relatives at 119, Clevedon Street, South Shields, County Durham.
Andrew Burdon, having heard of the sinking of the Lusitania, remained in New York until he learned that his wife and son were safe, before returning to Winnipeg.
Having recovered from their ordeal, and having spent sufficient time with their relatives and friends, Nellie and Robert returned to Canada on board the
Metagama on the 1st August 1915. By 1916, the family home was at 602. Agnes Street, Winnipeg.
Nellie later lodged a claim for personal injury, and for the loss of personal effects, money, and other property in the sinking of the
Lusitania. Whereas she suffered no specific physical injuries, it stated in her medical report that she had almost drowned and suffered from shock. Initially, the Canadian Commission, which had been established to decide on such claims, awarded her $7,500.00 for personal injuries, but later reduced the award to $3,000.00, and also awarded her $3,000.00 for the loss of her personal effects, money, and other property, with interest of 5% from the 7th May 1915. No specific claim was made in respect of Robert.
Nellie gave birth to four more children – George Thompson and Arthur Griffin, twins born in 1917, Andrew Thompson, born in 1920, and Edward King, who was born in 1924. By 1921, the family were residing at 34. Osborne Street, Verdun, Quebec.
On the 7th May 1935, twenty years after the event, Nellie Burdon gave an interview to an unknown Canadian newspaper in which she recounted her experience on the sinking: -
… “I was having lunch at the time,” she said. “It was the second call for lunch, and I had taken Robert who was 14 months old at the time into the dining saloon with me for the second call. “Lucky it was too that I went to the second service,” she smiled faintly as she spoke. “Because the torpedo blew a hole into the side of the ship just where my cabin was. I would probably have been in my cabin if I had been at the first service.”
“What happened?” she was asked. “There was a terrific crash. Then, - at once it seemed, - the ship listed. It leaned to one side and dipped forward at the same time. The silver and the plates slid onto the floor. “Was there panic?” “There was plenty of excitement,” she admitted.
KEPT SHIPS PAPER
“I know that I seized Robert. I pushed a copy of the ships daily paper into a pocket and still have it, and later when I was fished out of the sea I still held a serviette in one hand –“
“Somehow I managed to get on deck.” Mrs. Burdon said. “The stairs were so steep that I had to climb them hand over hand. The ship was leaning over so far that the boats on one side could not be used at all. On the other side passengers could not climb in because they swung out too far.”
“”I remember that a man who was already in a boat told me to pass the baby over to him. I did that. Then I tried to get to another boat. It was hanging out so far that it was useless. Someone cut the ropes that were holding it up and it fell to the waves below. It upset. I think that most of the people in it were drowned.
“It was no use trying for the life boats. The ship keeled more and more. I slid to the side, and eventually jumped over.” …
… “Well, I was lucky. Always have been. The men in lifeboat number 13 picked me out of the sea. It was not the same boat as that Robert was in, but I saw he was safe.” She smiled. “I think 13 definitely lucky for me now. I always try to get sweepstakes tickets that add up to that.”
80 IN BOAT
There were 80 passengers and sailors in the lifeboat when it pulled away from the doomed liner. Five of them were dead; drowned or wounded. Women helped sailors at the oars to get the boat away from the suction of the ship.
“It was a terrible task getting away from the suction,” Mrs. Burdon recalled. “I remember seeing one young lady, Mrs. H.L. Gwyer, wife of a young clergyman, sucked into one of the funnels of the ship as it went down. Then when the water reached the boilers they exploded and she was blown out again, black, and bruised and naked. She was picked up by another boat.” …
The Burdon family later moved to 5770. Ballantyne, Avenue, Verdun, Quebec, and Nellie Burdon made frequent visits back to England during the 1950’s, before she and her husband moved to Los Angeles, California, to be near their youngest son, Edward.
Nellie Burdon died in Los Angeles, California, on the 11th January 1963, aged 71 years. Sometime following her passing, her husband, Andrew, moved back to Canada where he died in British Columbia on the 4th June 1974. Her eldest son, Robert, who had survived the sinking of the Lusitania with her, died on the 29th January 1974 in Verdun, Quebec, aged 59 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Manitoba Marriage Index 1887 - 1937, 1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, 1921 Census of Canada, British Columbia, Canada, Death Index, 1872 – 1990, California Death Index 1940 – 1997, Canadian Claims Case No. 840, Gateshead Northern Mail, Winnipeg Free Press, Cunard Records, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.