Edith Ellen West, known as Helen, was born in Didsbury, Manchester, Lancashire, England, in 1878, the eldest daughter of William and Mary Jane West (née Morgan). Her father was well known as High Bailiff of Salford County Court and she was well known in the Salford, Didsbury, and Chorlton-cum-Hardy areas of Lancashire.
On the 4th May 1910, she had married Herbert Secchi of Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Didsbury, and on April 27th 1913, she arrived in New York City from Liverpool on board the Cunarder Carmania, to begin a new life in the United States of America. Her husband, who was a woollen merchant, had already arrived there in January. The couple took up residence in New York City and had no children.
Early in 1915, Helen Secchi decided to return to England on a visit to her parents and friends and consequently booked second cabin passage from New York, boarding the Lusitania before her scheduled departure time of 10.00 a.m., at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York port, on 1st May 1915.
The liner’s departure for Liverpool was then actually delayed until the early afternoon, so that she could take on board passengers, cargo and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship at the end of April. Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20, and sank just eighteen minutes later. At that stage of her voyage, she was only 250 miles from the safety of her home port.
She survived this action, however and having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown she eventually made it back to her parents’ home at Bearmlea, Chorlton Road, Didsbury.
In the edition of The Welsh Coast Pioneer, for 13th May, a report on the deaths of the Booth-Jones family, who were well known in the antiques trade, mentioned Mrs. Secchi: -
A lady friend of the name of Mrs. Seccki, (sic) who was travelling with them, and is amongst the survivors, states that the last she saw of Mr. and Mrs. Booth-Jones was when they were putting lifebelts on by the cabin door. The children were not with them, and Mrs. Seccki thinks the children were probably saved, but feels certain that Mr. and Mrs. Jones went down with the ship.
Sadly, Mrs. Secchi was only half correct because although Mr. and Mrs. Booth-Jones
did in fact perish in the sinking, so did their two children.
It was not until January 1918, that Helen Secchi returned to New York - perhaps only then believing that it was safe to travel across the Atlantic to be re-united with her husband.
The Secchi’s were now residing at 119. Herkimer Street, Brooklyn, New York City, and then, on the 29th April 1920, Helen Secchi had discovered that her husband had booked himself, and a woman who was unknown to her, but who was masquerading as his wife, into the Fourth Avenue Hotel in Manhattan, New York City. Following this discovery, Helen filed for divorce from her husband, which was granted on the 6th July 1920, and Helen was awarded alimony of $50 per week. A short time later, Helen returned to England.
Helen never re-married and resided at 142. Earls Court Road, London. She died in Southport, Lancashire, on the 10th April 1939, aged 60 years, and she was buried in Birkdale Cemetery. Administration of her estate, which amounted to £641-7s.-11d. (£641.39½p), was granted to her sister, Mrs. Gladys Maud Carus, at London on the 29th September 1939.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Manchester England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1930, 1881 Census of England & Wales, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 - 1957, Cunard Records, Imperial War Museum GB62, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Daily News, Salford City Reporter, Welsh Coast Pioneer, Probate Records, UniLiv D92/2/343, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.