Emily Dickson was born in Brixton, Surrey, England, in early 1877, the daughter, and one of six children, of Henry and Maria Mary Ann Dickson (née Russell). On completion of her education she became a domestic servant, and for a time worked as a ladies maid for a Mrs. Kate Millicent Powell at Hertford Street, Mayfair, London.
On the 27th September 1913, Emily boarded the Campania at Liverpool, and travelled to New York City with Miss Barbara Ross, who had also worked for Mrs. Powell.
Nothing is known about where Emily went to or what she did when she got to the United States of America, but it appears she met and married a man by the name of “Cattew”. No details are known about this man.
In the spring of 1915, Emily decided to return to Great Britain, perhaps to visit her family, and consequently booked third class passage on the May sailing of the
Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. Having joined the vessel on the morning of 1st May 1915 in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock departure, she had to wait until just after noon before the liner actually left her moorings at Pier 54 in New York harbour and began her journey out into the Atlantic. This was because she had to take on board passengers, crew and cargo from Anchor Liner
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war work as a troop ship. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the
Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 off the southern coast of Ireland and only about 14 hours away from her destination.
Nearly 250 third class passengers lost their lives as a result of this action and unfortunately, Emily Cattew was one of them. She was aged 38 years at the time.
On 21st May 1915, a cable was received from Cunard’s New York office either to its Liverpool or Queenstown offices, which gave further details of Mrs. Cattew and which stated: -
Height 5’4”, black hair, wedding ring, home address, Herne Hill, Dulwich, London England. Had Chain, many bags marked Sherrick Jeweller Ashland. Clothing marked Home Co., Ashland.
Despite this description, no match was found amongst the unidentified dead in the Queenstown mortuaries and as a result, Emily Cattew has no known grave.
Her given address in Dulwich was c/o A. Dickson, which was most probably the home of her brother, Alfred Dickson.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, PRO BT 100/345, 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.