Ellen Sherlock was born in Glanworth, County Cork, Ireland, on the 18th January 1864, the daughter of John and Hannah Sherlock (née Lombard). Her father was a farmer, and on the 5th May 1875, her family arrived in New York City in the United States of America on board the Erin, having embarked at Queenstown. Her father had travelled ahead of the rest of the family to find accommodation for them and find work for himself.
Ellen had an older brother named David, who was born in 1869, another named Thomas, who was born in 1870, and a younger sister named Mary, who was born in 1874. The family settled in Manhattan, New York City, where on completion of her education, Ellen became a dressmaker, and started styling her name as Helena Colbert
In late 1898 or 1899, she married William F. Colbert, an Irishman who had, through naturalization, become a citizen of the United States, and in 1915, the couple resided at 361, West 18th Street, New York City, where they lived with her eldest brother and her sister.
Helena had inherited substantial property from an aunt and uncle in Ireland, and the couple decided to travel to Ireland to take possession of her inheritance. William resigned from his position as an insurance agent on 26th April 1915, and is not known how long they intended to stay in Ireland, or whether or not they intended to reside there permanently.
William and Helena Colbert booked second cabin passage on the May sailing of the
Lusitania from New York to Liverpool. They both boarded the vessel at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for her scheduled 10 o’clock sailing.
This was then delayed until just after mid-day, because she had to wait to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the liner
Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship, at the end of April.
Then, six days later on the afternoon of 7th May, and within sight of 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 the safety of her home port. Helena Colbert and her husband William were both killed as a result of this action. She was aged 51 years at the time of her death and he was aged 47.
Although her husband’s body was subsequently recovered from the sea and repatriated to New York for burial, hers never was, and as a result, she has no known grave. Nevertheless, on 15th May 1916, a letter was received at the Cunard office at Queenstown, from that in New York seeking information about Helena Colbert, which stated that she was: -
Age 44 years with a wedding ring with the initials W.F.C. TO H.M.C.
which was obviously a present from her husband on their wedding day.
This was followed up by another letter on 29th May which gave the further information: -
Ticking Pocket tied to body. “Footmould” trade mark stamped on the soles of the shoes. In case of recovery, return body to sister Miss N. Shirlock, (sic)
321 (sic), West 18th Street.
Ticking was a kind of course cloth from which mattress covers (and pockets) were made.
On the morning of 5th June 1915, the body of Helena’ Colbert’s husband was interred in the Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, New York in the Sherlock family grave, in Section 13, Plot 161, where it lies to this day. An inscription on the headstone records his death and also that of Helena Colbert, although she is not buried there. The pertinent inscription states: -
SACRED
TO
THE MEMORY OF .....
WILLIAM F. COLBERT
DIED MAY 7TH 1915
HIS BELOVED WIFE
HELENA M. COLBERT
DIED MAY 7TH 1915 .....
REST IN PEACE
Helena Colbert had bought the grave in June 1891 and her parents were both buried there on 10th October 1891, following the death of her mother Hannah on 7th October. Her father John Sherlock had died in April 1885, and was initially buried in Calvary Cemetery in Section 12, Plot Q, Grave 1, but then re-buried alongside his wife in the new grave. David Sherlock died aged 64 years in 1933, Thomas Sherlock died aged 40 years in 1910, and Mary Sherlock died aged 70 years in 1944.
Helena Colbert was survived by her brother, David, and her sister, Mary. Her brother, Thomas, had died in 1910, but left four daughters and a son.
Both William and Helena made wills on 29th April 1915, naming Helena’s brother, David J. Sherlock, as executor of both estates. In this capacity, David Sherlock filed a claim on behalf of all the surviving family members, for compensation for the deaths of William and Helena, and also for the loss of their personal belongings in the sinking.
After the war, the Mixed Claims Commission considered the claim, and as all family members had been adequately provided for under the terms of the wills, they awarded David Sherlock the sum of $300.00 as compensation for the loss of the couple’s personal belongings.
Ireland Catholic Parish Registers 1655 – 1915, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1905 New York State Census, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, New York State and Federal Naturalization Records 1794 – 1940, Calvary Cemetery, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2561, New York Times, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.PR13/6, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Joe Giulietti, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.