Gertrude Alice ‘Gertie’ Hunt was born in Kensington, London, England, in 1883, the daughter of Richard Henry and Alice Emily Hunt (née Dodson). Her father was a packing case maker, and Gertie was one of eight children in the family.
She became a school teacher, and in the summer of 1910, she married Reginald Purse, who was an artist and illustrator. On the 3rd August 1910, shortly after their wedding, they boarded the Majestic at Southampton, and on disembarking in New York City, in the United States of America a week later, they made their way to Omaha, Nebraska, where her husband had secured employment as an artist and illustrator with Baker Brothers Engraving Company.
By 1911, the couple had moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Reginald was employed by the Purse Printing Company, at East 10th Street in the city. The owner of the company, Mr. R.P. Purse, was not related to Reginald, but immediately hired him when he applied for the position with the company. Reginald and Gertie Purse resided at 502, Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga
Although Gertie became very involved in the local suffragette movement in the city,
she suffered from homesickness, and implored Reginald to bring her back to London to see her family. Consequently, in the spring of 1915, the Purses decided to return to England, although it is not known if their return was permanent or temporary.
They booked second cabin passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania which was scheduled to leave New York for Liverpool on the morning of 1st May 1915, and left Chattanooga on the 28th April, travelling by rail to New York City.
Having arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York in time for the liner’s 10 o’clock sailing, the couple had to wait until just after mid-day before the liner left her moorings and set out on her last journey across the Atlantic. This delay was because she had to embark passengers, crew, and cargo from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship, at the end of April.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20 off The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland, only 250 miles away from her home port.
Gertie Purse was killed as a result of this action, as was her husband and as the bodies of neither were ever recovered from the sea and identified afterwards, neither has a known grave. Gertrude Purse was aged 31 years.
On 30th April 1917, nearly two years after his death, probate of her husband’s estate in England was granted to her father, and his effects amounted to £110-15s-4d., (£110.77p.).
Reginald Purse also made a Will in the week before he left Chattanooga, fearing that both he and his wife would not survive the voyage to England. His estate was divided between his mother, his now married sister and her daughter, and his wife’s family. This estate was also administered by her father.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, London England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1920, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, Cunard Records, 1911 Omaha City Directory, 1912 Chattanooga City Directory, Tennessee U.S. Wills and Probate Records 1779 – 2008, Chattanooga News, Chattanooga Daily Times, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.