Edith Robshaw was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, in 1889, the daughter of Robert Kaye and Emma Robshaw (née Hall). She was one of four children and her father was a railway porter. The family home by 1911 was at 7. Chantrell Grove, York Road, Leeds, Yorkshire.
After completing her education, Edith became a dressmaker, and sometimes worked as a waitress.
In May 1912, she arrived in New York in the United States of America on board the White Star Liner vessel Baltic, having sailed from Liverpool and then travelled to Kearney, in New Jersey, probably to work in the textile trade. She already had an uncle and aunt living in New Jersey.
In the spring of 1915, however, she decided to return to her family in Leeds, either for good, or for a holiday, and consequently booked third class passage on the Lusitania, from New York to Liverpool. Also travelling third class were her aunt, Mrs. Florence Lockwood, and Mrs. Lockwood’s two children, Clifford and Lily.
With ticket number 32301, she joined the vessel at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York, on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for the liner’s scheduled sailing, which having been delayed, began just after mid-day. The delay was caused because she had to take on board passengers, cargo and some of the crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which the British Admiralty had requisitioned for war use at the end of April.
Six days out of New York, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-20, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her home port. Edith Robshaw and the Lockwood’s were killed as a result of this action and as no trace of Edith’s body was ever discovered afterwards, she has no known grave. She was aged 26 years. Only the remains of Lilly Lockwood were subsequently recovered and identified.
After Lily Lockwood’s remains were recovered from the sea, it was landed at Queenstown, where it was given the reference number 69 in one of the temporary mortuaries there.
On 10th May 1915, probably before it was identified, it was buried in The Old Church Cemetery, Queenstown in Mass Grave B, 1st Row, Upper Tier. It was on this day that most of the dead from the disaster were buried, after a long funeral procession which began at the Cunard Offices at Lynch's Quay.
After Edith’s death had been officially accepted, her parents, who stated that they were totally dependent on her for financial support, applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund, for help. This fund had been set up not long after the sinking by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other local businessmen, to help survivors or relatives of those killed, who had encountered financial difficulties as a result.
On 1st July 1915, the awards committee granted them an initial payment of £3-0s-0d, and then followed this up on 17th August with a grant of £0-5s-0d., (£0.25p.), per week, with further consideration promised for their case, after six months.
Her uncle, George Robshaw, who was a naturalized citizen of the United States, filed a claim for compensation for her death which was considered by the Mixed Claims Commission. The Commission decided that as Edith Robshaw was not an American citizen at the time of her death, and her uncle was not dependant on her, no award should be made.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, UK Outgoing Passenger Lists 18901 – 1960, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 2196 & 2202, Liverpool Record Office, Leeds Mercury, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.