My second book about the RMS Titanic and her passengers and crew along with some movie talk. Same rules apply, no drama, trolls, and disrespecting the people on this ship
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April 8th, 1881 - September 11th, 1949
She is a Aries.
Ellen Bird was born in Wilby Road in Old Buckenham, Norfolk, England to Samuel Bird (born 1842) and Mary Ann Clarke (born 1842). Her father, a farmer and shepard, was also native to Old Buckenham whilst her mother hailed from Shropham, Norfolk. They were married in early 1864 and went on to produce a brood of 11 children. Ellen's siblings were: George (born 1862). Samuel (born 1864), Sarah (born 1868), Emma (born 1870), Anna (born 1872), Elizabeth (born 1874), Benjamin (born 1876), Mary (born 1878), Abigail (born 1883), and William (born 1885).
Ellen appears on the 1891 census living at her family home in Wilby Road, Old Buckenham, the place of her birth. Her parents were shown on the 1901 census living at Horsham Road and on the 1911 census at Stanford, both in Old Buckenham, but Ellen wasn't listed at these addresses with them and only her eldest surviving brother, Samuel, remained at home. It seems that Ellen, along with the majority of her siblings, went on to work at a very early age and by the time of the 1901 census she was listed as a general domestic at an address in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey.
Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912: Ellen was living in London when she was employed by Isidor Straus just prior to their return to New York. The Strauses had been in Europe since January of 1912 and were trying to find a French maid to bring back. They had no success but did hire a British maid who left them at the last minute and Ellen was then hired. In a letter from Ida to her children she expressed her wish that this new girl works out. Ellen boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton on April 10th, 1912 and she occupied cabin C-97. Also travelling in their party was Ida's english manservant John Farthing.
After the collision, Ida dithered over whether or not to enter a lifeboat and handed Ellen some of her jewelry but then decided to take it back. Ida also gave Ellen her fur coat saying she wouldn't be needing it. Encouraged by her steadfast employers Ellen boarded lifeboat 8 and was saved. Both her elderly employers remained behind and were both lost, along with John Farthing.
After The Sinking/Later Life/Death: After being rescued, Ellen tried to give Ida's fur coat back to the family, specifically Sara Straus Hess, Ida and Isidor's eldest daughter. Sara told Ellen that Ida had given her the coat and she should keep it. Ellen went to work for the family of Frederic Spedden of Tuxedo Park, New York. The Speddens were also on the Titanic and also travelled to Europe in January of 1912, coincidentally on the same ship as Ida and Isidor. She would remain in their employ until her marriage. Ellen was married on June 3rd, 1914 in Manhattan to Julian Edward Beattie (August 3rd, 1881), a London-born man who had worked as a yacht captain and also in the hotel trade. They went on to have just one child, daughter named Gwendolyn, who was born in New York on June 29th, 1915.
Gwendolyn barely passed her 2nd birthday and died on September 8th, 1917. Ellen and Edward had no further children. They were listed on the 1920 census living in Morris, New Jersey and both under the employ of a Mr. Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen and his family. They were listed on the 1930 and 1940 censuses living in Boston, with Mr. Beattie being described as a proprietor on the latter record and still connected with the hospitality trade. Ellen reportedly worked for several prominent families in Newport, Rhode Island, having moved there from New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Ellen, who became a naturalized US citizen in 1938, died in a rest home in Newport, Rhode Island on September 11th, 949. She was buried in Acushnet Cemetery in Bristol, Massachusetts. Edward outlined her by over a decade and died on September 21st, 1963 and was buried with her.
