Muriel Elfrida Neville was born in Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, in 1909, the youngest daughter of Albert Charles and Mabel Frances Neville (née Smith). She had one older brother, Charlie, born in 1902 and an older sister, Evelyn, born in 1901.
Although the family had originally come from Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire, England, and the family home was there at 133, High Street, in 1913, they had emigrated to Canada and settled in Vancouver, British Columbia and then in August 1914 they had gone to Toronto, Ontario, where Muriel’s mother had a sister. Her father then obtained employment in the insurance industry.
In the spring of 1915, the family decided to return to Berkhamstead, and as a consequence, booked second cabin passage on the Lusitania which sailed from New York harbour just after mid-day, on the 1st May 1915. This sailing was delayed from the liner’s scheduled 10.00 a.m. departure, 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.
The Lusitania finally left port just after mid-day and just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May; she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20. At that point, she was off The Old Head of Kinsale in southern Ireland and only 250 miles hours away from her Liverpool home port destination.
All but one of the Neville family were victims of this action. Muriel Neville, her father, her brother and her sister were all killed - only her mother survived. Muriel Neville was only five years old at the time of her death.
As none of the bodies of the family dead were ever recovered and identified afterwards, none has a known grave.
After Muriel’s mother Mabel had been saved from the sea and landed at Queenstown, she was located and visited at a the home of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Coke, in the
town by one of Muriel’s uncles, who later wrote home about Muriel’s mother’s experience, which directly mentioned Muriel’s last hours. His account stated: -
She roused up sufficiently to give him a very clear account of what happened. It appears that they were altogether (sic) on deck when the torpedo struck the vessel. Albert ran and got lifebelts ..... .
There was not one for baby so Mabel took her in her arms and Albert stood at the back of her with his arms round the other two. Mabel looked round just after, and he was missing. Then the vessel stood right up on end and there was a terrific explosion, which shot Mabel right clear of the vessel, and she went right down. .....
She held the baby in her arms for three hours and she saw two boats, and asked them to take her, but they wouldn’t, and just after they had passed, the baby died in her arms. After that, she lost consciousness. When she was taken out of the water the child was missing.
Muriel Neville was obviously regarded as the baby of the family, although she was, at the time of the sinking, five years old!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, Brotherton Library UniLeeds, West Hertfordshire & Watford Observer, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.