Elizabeth Jones, according to the information she gave when getting married, was born in Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, on the 2nd April 1881, the daughter of John and Eleanor Jones, later of 81. Cecil Street, Manseltown, Swansea.
Nothing is known about her family or early life, however, in the mid-1900’s, she was living in Swansea when she met Alfred Francis Smith, who worked for The Swansea Tramway Company. They began a relationship and their daughter, Helen Jones, was born in Swansea in October 1908.
Either before their daughter’s birth, or shortly afterwards, Alfred Smith emigrated to Ellwood, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, where he found employment at The Shelby Tube Works as an electrician. He already had two sisters married and living in the city, and one of his brothers-in-law, Herbert Owens, who was married to his sister, Cecilia, was a paymaster at The Shelby Tube Works and was probably influential in having Alfred employed by the company.
On the 3rd of August 1909, Elizabeth Jones and their daughter, Helen, boarded the Carmania in Liverpool, and travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to join Alfred. They both used the family name, Smith, on boarding, and although they were not married, Elizabeth was describing herself as being married to Alfred by this time.
On the 7th April 1913, Elizabeth and Alfred Smith were married in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Their second child and daughter named Elizabeth, but affectionately known as “Bessie”, was born in January 1915. Cunard records erroneously state that both of the daughters were of British nationality.
In the spring of 1915, perhaps because of the war, the family decided to return to Wales, and as result, they booked passage as second cabin passengers on the Lusitania, which sailed from New York just after mid-day on 1st May 1915. Her sister-in-law, Cecilia Owens, and her two young children, Reginald and Ronald, decided to accompany them on the journey home for a holiday, and leaving Herbert Owens behind in Pennsylvania, they joined the Smith family on board the ship
She was married to Alfred F. Smith, who also came from Swansea. They had two daughters, Helen, born in 1908 and Elizabeth, (Bessie), who was born in January 1915. Although Cunard records state that both daughters were British subjects, it is probable that the infant Bessie was born in America.
Six days after the liner had left New York for the last time, she was torpedoed and sunk, and the families somehow became separated,. Elizabeth Smith, her husband Alfred, and their daughter, Bessie, all perished. Only Helen survived from that family and only
Mrs. Owens survived from hers!
Elizabeth Smith was aged 34 years and her body was never recovered from the sea and identified.
Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Owens, eventually made it to Swansea, where she related her ordeal to a reporter of the local newspaper The Cambria Leader. The account, which refers to her as Mrs. Owen and also calls her son Ronald, Hubert, was published on Tuesday 11th May 1915. It states: -
The party were (sic) travelling second class and their cabins were opposite each other. On Friday afternoon, Hubert and Reginald and Helen Smith were playing on deck and having a glorious time. Everybody on board was anticipating the end of the voyage and none had the slightest idea that a catastrophe was near.
Mrs. Owen, leaving the children at play, telling them to come down in half an hour, went below to pack and dress in anticipation of landing. Mr and Mrs. Smith were in their own cabin with the five months’ old child. They had not been below five minutes when the crash came.
The first care was, of course, for the children and while Mrs. Owen dashed up in search of her boys, she assumed that Mr. and Mrs. Smith tried to find Helen. Mrs. Owen did not see a single of the little party again, neither did little Helen till she recognised her auntie in a Queenstown hotel some hours after. .....
Mrs. Owen viewed the dead bodies brought ashore without finding any of the party, ..... .
Mrs. Owens eventually took Helen to Liverpool and handed her over to her maternal grandparents who brought her up.
Cunard records stated that Mrs. Smith’s forenames were Elizabeth A., however, no records have been found where the initial “A” appears in her name.
Pennsylvania U.S. Marriages 1852 – 1968, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Cambria Leader, Cheshire Daily Echo, Western Mail, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, Seven Days to Disaster, Liverpool Record Office, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.