Thirza Winter was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, on the 30th August 1883, the daughter of Richard Harvey and Elizabeth Winter (née Johnson). Her father was a scissor smith in the local cutlery industry, and Thirza was one of 10 known children in the family.
On completing her education, she became an etcher and engraver in the local cutlery industry, before boarding the White Star liner, Olympic, at Southampton, Hampshire, and immigrating to the United States of America, where she was hoping to find work as a domestic servant in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is likely that she did not stay long in Bridgeport and went to New York City where there were better job opportunities.
In the spring of 1915, she decided to return home, and as a consequence, she booked as a second cabin passenger on the Lusitania and on the afternoon of 1st May 1915, she left New York on board, as the vessel began her last ever trans-Atlantic crossing. This departure was delayed from her scheduled time because she had to wait to load cargo and take on passengers and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war service as a troop ship at the end of April.
When the liner was torpedoed and sunk, just six days later, by the German submarine U-20, Miss Winter was lucky enough to be counted amongst the survivors. In their book The Last Voyage of the Lusitania published in 1956, authors Adolph and Mary Hoehling told what happen
She had been swept off the ship while her arm was locked around the canvas cover of a collapsible. Unable to swim and helpless without a lifebelt, she was borne along by the moving flotsam. Clad only in a thin petticoat and blouse, she was bleeding from gashes in her head and back when rescued. Even so she went to work giving artificial respiration to others and succeeded in saving several lives.
Having eventually been rescued from the sea, she was landed at Queenstown and taken to The Queen’s Hotel - the premier hotel in the town. After she had recovered sufficiently, she was eventually able to make it back to Sheffield, where she stayed at the home of her brother at 49, Sunny Bank, Sheffield.
Once home, she applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund, for financial help. This fund had been set up immediately after the liner had been sunk, by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local people from the business community to help second and third class passenger survivors and the relatives of those who had perished, who had come upon hard times as a result of the sinking.
Miss Winter’s application was rewarded with a grant of just £5-0s-0d., on the grounds that she was likely to find employment in the near future.
The Queen’s Hotel, which had given Thirza Winter temporary refuge after her ordeal is still the premier hotel in the town, but is now called The Commodore Hotel and Queenstown is now called Cobh.
In September 1915, Miss Winter received correspondence from a Mrs. Prichard, whose son, Richard Preston Prichard, was also a second cabin passenger on the Lusitania, and of whom nothing was known about following the sinking. Mrs. Prichard wrote to all the survivors she could trace, seeking any information about her son. Miss Winter replied: -
49. Sunny Bank
Sheffield
Sep. 16th 1915
Dear Sir (sic.)
In answer to your letter of 13th with regard to the loss of your son on the Lusitania. I am sorry I cannot give you any information concerning how he was picked up. If he was in the cabin I think he would have great difficulty in getting out on deck but as the boat was struck while most of the people was (sic.) having lunch I don’t think he would be in the cabin. If your son’s body was pick (sic.) up & he died, I think his body will be buried in Queenstown & the best thing you can do is to go to the Cunard Co. Liverpool Head Office & examine carefully the photographs of all the bodies that have been found. They have each body photographed on arrival & if the body has been recovered they will be able to identify it & if it is buried at Queenstown the coffin may be transported to you.
I will keep this positive as I know another person in Sheffield who were (sic.) a survivor & when I return to Sheffield next week I will enquire of him. I cannot give you his address as I have not got it. When I get home
again I will send you also addresses of 5 or 6 others.
Trusting you will soon recover Mr. Richard P. Prichard’s body as I know it is a very anxious & worrying time for you.
Yours Very Sincerely
Thirza Winter
Mr. Prichard’s body was never recovered or identified and no trace of him was ever found.
On the 13th September 1924, Thirza Winter married the Reverend Edward Wellington Bate at St. Mark’s Church, Broomhall, Sheffield. Her husband was a minister in East Waterford, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, and as well as being a widower with adult children, he was over twenty years older than her. The couple had no children.
Following their marriage, the couple travelled to East Waterford where her husband continued his ministry, but after a short period, moved to Middletown, Delaware, where Thirza applied to become a U.S. citizen in 1927.
The couple later moved to Washingtonville, New York, and then to Blooming Grove, New York, where the Reverend Edward Bate died on the 4th May 1937.
Following her husband’s death, Thirza lived in Washingtonville, and later Poughkeepsie, New York, where she worked as a nurse in a home for the elderly, before retiring to Washingtonville.
Thirza Bate died in Washingtonville, New York, on the 29th August 1958, the day before her 75th birthday. She was buried in Wappingers Rural Cemetery, Wappingers Falls, New York, beside her husband.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Yorkshire Baptisms, Yorkshire Marriages, New York State U.S. Death Index 1957 – 1970, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, 1940 U.S. Federal Census, 1950 U.S. Federal Census, Delaware U.S. Federal Naturalization Records 1802 – 1944, UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890 – 1960, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, IWM GB62, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Sheffield Independent, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, Liverpool Record Office, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.