Emily Gaisford, known as “Cis”, was born in Westbury, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, in 1886, the daughter of George and Ellen Louisa Gaisford (née Bartlett). Her father was a house painter, and the family home was at 57. Mortimer Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
She was working as a dressmaker, when she married Francis Edwin Fox at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Trowbridge, on the 15th August 1910. Her husband worked as a machinist, and had settled in Trenton, New Jersey, in the United States of America, in 1907. They must have known one another, and perhaps become engaged to be married, prior to Frank Fox going to Trenton, as he only returned to England on the 20th July, presumably to marry Cis.
On the 31st August, the couple boarded the White Star Lines, Majestic, at Southampton, with Frank returning to Trenton with his bride. They set up their home at 324, Cleveland Avenue, Trenton, New Jersey, in the United States of America.
In the Spring of 1915, they decided to return to England so that her husband could become involved in Great Britain‘s war effort, and as a result, they set off from Trenton, and joined the
Lusitania at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York as second cabin passengers, on the morning of 1st May 1915, for what turned out to the liner’s last ever sailing from the port.
This last sailing began at 12.27 after a delay caused because she had to load cargo and embark passengers and some crew from the Anchor Liner
Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship, at the end of the previous month. 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.
Neither she nor her husband survived this enemy action, nor were either of their bodies ever recovered and identified. She was aged 28 years.
Some time after the sinking, however, a lady’s satchel was recovered from the sea and handed in at the Cunard office at Queenstown. It contained a cheque book in the name of Francis Fox and had clearly belonged to Emily Fox. It was sent to Mrs Alice Harris, - who was Emily Fox’s sister-in-law, at 54 Exmouth Street, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Wilshire England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 – 1916, Wiltshire England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1916, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, New York Times, Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, PRO BT/100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/6.2., UniLiv D92/2/145, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, David Irving, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.
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