Elizabeth Sarah Dowsett, always known as “Bessie”, was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on the 1st April 1871, the daughter of Richard and Sarah Dowsett (née Shaw). Her father was a butcher, with premises at Wellington Street, Collingwood, Melbourne, and her siblings were Mary, Emma, and Richard.
In 1893, she married Alfred Reid Mainman, who was a butcher, like her father, and the couple had three children – John V., born in 1894, Alfred Shaw, born in 1895, and Mary Frances, born in 1898.
In July 1904, the entire family sailed on the Persic from Australia to England, arriving on the 3rd August. Presumably, they spent time with her husband’s family, but it’s unlikely that he found any work, for in April 1906, the family immigrated to Canada.
They first went to Saskatchewan, but then moved to 10535, Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta. Although her husband began life as a grocer, he later qualified as an accountant and was employed in this capacity by Edmonton City Council in the treasury department there. In 1907, Bessie Mainman gave birth to twins – a boy named Edwin Richard, and a girl named Elizabeth Sarah.
In March 1915, Mrs. Mainman’s in-laws in Exeter, Devonshire, England, had died, and the family was requested to go there to wind up the family estate. Consequently, at the end of April 1915, they left Edmonton for New York where they joined the Cunarder Lusitania as second cabin passengers, at Pier 54, before she sailed for Liverpool for the very last time, on 1st May.
Exactly six days later, the family was all but wiped out after the liner was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination.
Mrs. Mainman, her husband and their sons, Alfred and John, all died and only the young children survived. Mrs. Mainman was aged 55 years.
A description of Mrs. Mainman was provided to Cunard officials following the sinking, which stated she was “dressed in deep mourning”, suggesting she had suffered the loss of a close relative herself in the lead up to the sinking. The description states: -
“170 pounds, 5’ 7”, hair a light brown, fair, English type of woman, prominent nose, large hips”.
As her body was never recovered and identified later, she has no known grave.
A claim lodged with the Lusitania Relief Fund was made on behalf of her children, and the Committee awarded them the sum of £500-0s-0d. in a once-off payment.
Victoria Australia Marriage Index 1837 – 1950, 1911 Census of Canada, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 – 1935, Cunard Records, Edmonton Journal, The Age, Liverpool Record Office, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/198, UniLiv D92/2/11, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.