Eileen Mcnamee

Who was Mrs Eileen McNamee?

Mrs Eileen McNamee was a 19-year-old (nineteen-year-old) English woman who tragically perished aboard the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage in 1912. She was a newlywed third-class passenger traveling with her husband Neal McNamee to start a new life in America.

Early Life and Family

Eileen McNamee was born Eileen O’Leary on December 16, 1892, in Plymouth, Devon, England. She was the eldest child of Richard O’Leary, a Royal Engineer, and Minnie Petheram. Eileen had one surviving younger brother, Galbraith, born on January 28, 1899, in Chelsea.

Childhood and Education

By 1901, the O’Leary family had moved to Gillingham, Kent. Interestingly, during this time, young Eileen was recorded as a patient at the Canterbury Road Infections Hospital, though the nature of her illness remains unknown.

Early Career and Marriage

Working Life

In the 1911 census, Eileen was listed as living with her family at Kingston House, 8 Wilton Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire. At this time, she was employed as an unmarried bookkeeper cashier for Lipton’s, while her father worked as a clerk in the War Office.

A Whirlwind Romance

Eileen’s life took a romantic turn when she met Neal McNamee, a provisions dealer for Liptons and a native of Co Donegal, Ireland. Their courtship blossomed while Neal was working in Salisbury. The couple married on January 12, 1912, at the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Pokesdown, Bournemouth, just three months before their fateful journey.

The Titanic Journey

Preparations for a New Life

Neal McNamee was offered a position at Lipton Ltd. in America, prompting the newlyweds to embark on a transatlantic journey. Their preparations for this new chapter in their lives were marked by touching gestures:

• Sir Thomas Lipton himself wrote a letter of introduction for Neal to his General Manager in New York.
• The Superintendent of Salisbury Baptist Church, who was also the Mayor of Salisbury, gifted Eileen a testament and a letter of appreciation.

Boarding the Titanic

The McNamees boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton as third-class passengers. Their ticket (number 376566) cost £16, 2s, a significant sum for the time.

The Tragic Sinking

Final Moments

Second Officer Charles Lightoller’s account of the evacuation is believed to reference the McNamees:

“One young couple walked steadily up and down the boat deck throughout pretty well the whole of the proceedings. Once or twice the young chap asked if he could help. He was a tall, clean-bed Britisher, on his honeymoon I should say. The girl–she was little more–never made the slightest attempt to come towards the boats, much less be taken on board, although I looked towards her several times with a look of silent invitation, but no, she was not going to be parted from her man…”

This poignant description paints a picture of Eileen’s unwavering devotion to her husband in their final moments.

Recovery and Burial

Tragically, both Eileen and Neal perished in the sinking. Eileen’s body was recovered by the Mackay Bennett (body #53) and buried at sea on April 22, 1912. The recovery report provides a detailed description of her clothing and personal effects:

• Clothing: Brown velvet coat, sailor blouse (white with blue anchor), blue flannel petticoat marked “E.M.C.”, blue corsets, blue skirt with black braid, black stockings and shoes.
• Effects: Wedding ring, turquoise and diamond keeper ring, gold bracelet, two third-class tickets, purse containing 1s. 11d., fountain pen, keys, and cosmetics.

Legacy and Remembrance

The tragic story of Eileen and Neal McNamee has been memorialized in several ways:

• A bench and tree were placed in their memory in Winston Churchill Gardens, Salisbury. While the original bench remains, it is missing its plaque, and the original tree was destroyed by vandals.
• On July 28, 1999, a new tree was planted, and a new bench and plaque were unveiled.
• A cenotaph for both Eileen and Neal stands in Convoy at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.

The fate of Eileen’s parents remains unclear, with suggestions they either settled in Canada or spent their final days in Sidcup, Kent. Her brother Galbraith lived until August 9, 1979, when he passed away in London.

Eileen McNamee’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the Titanic disaster, highlighting the dreams and aspirations of young couples seeking a new life, tragically cut short by one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters.