RMS Titanic Book 2

Ellen Needs-Wilkes

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June 13th, 1864 - April 27th, 1965

She is a Gemini.

Mrs. William John Wilkes was born as Ellen Needs in Tresco in the Scilly Isles off Cornwall, England. She was baptized 1 month later on July 12th, 1864. She was the daughter of George Needs (born 1824), a labourer, and Anne Pender (born 1821). Her father was a native of Somerset whilst her mother was a Scilly Isle native and they were married in 1848. She had 6 known siblings: Samuel Pender (born 1852), John (born 1853, George (1854), Mary Elizabeth (born 1856), Eliza (born 1858), and Henrietta (born 1861) and her mother had a daughter Joyce Ann (born 1846), from a previous relationship.

He first appears on the 1871 census living with her family at an unspecified address in Penzance, Cornwall and at the time of the 1881 census she was working as a domestic servant and living at North Parade, Madron, Cornwall, the home of elderly unmarried sisters Ann and Marian Bosustow. Ellen married in Penzance in 1888 to William John Wilkes (born 1865 in St Just, Cornwall), a mason builder, and they had a son the previous year, William James (September 19th, 1887). The family appear on the 1891 census living at an unspecified address in Gulval, Cornwall. What became of her husband isn't clear and it appears she was remarried in 1908 to Adolphus Sharp Mitchell (born 1872), a Penzance born rigger although the marriage may not have been a happy one with them both living apart by the time of the 1911 census.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
Ellen appears on the 1911 census (listed as Mitchell) living with her married half-sister Joyce Ann Ellis and her family at Creswells Terrace, Botallack, St Just, Cornwall and she was described as a married general domestic servant. Her husband was living at Pinners Street, St Just, Cornwall on the same census. By 1912, it seems she had reverted to her original married name of Wilkes. Adolphus died in Penzance in 1929. She embarked on the RMS Titanic at Southampton on April 10th, 1912 as a third class passenger. She was traveling to Rhodes Avenue, Akron, Ohio, the address of her nephew Sidney Hocking who has emigrated a year previous.

Also traveling with her, albeit in 2nd class, was her sister Eliza Hocking and Emily with the latter's 2 sons. Ellen was rescued in lifeboat 16. Her sister, nieces, and great-nephews were rescued in lifeboat 4.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
Ellen was reunited with family in New York and finally arrived in Akron, Ohio where she spent the rest of her life. She was later joined by her son William and his family with whom she lived for many years and they were still resident together on the 1940 census. William died on May 31st, 1947. In her final years, she became a recluse and was discovered by her neighbors in February of 1965 living in squalor at her home, Amherst Street in Akron. She was without heat or running water in the middle of wintertime.

Although her home had furniture, she had been sleeping sitting upright in a chair in her living room. Unopened mail, some years old, was in stacks surrounding her. She was suffering severely from frostbite and partial amputation of her feet was later performed and she remained under treatment until her death. Ellen passed away on April 27th, 1955 at the City Hospital, Akron at the age of 90 and was buried in Glendale Cemetery, Akron beside her son.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Ellen Needs-Wilkes.