Elisabeth Walton Allen

Who was Miss Elisabeth Walton Allen?

Miss Elisabeth Walton Allen was a 29-year-old (twenty-nine) American first-class passenger who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Born on October 1, 1882 in St. Louis, Missouri, she came from a prominent family and was engaged to be married at the time of the disaster. Elisabeth’s remarkable life spanned from the Gilded Age through two World Wars, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with one of history’s most famous maritime tragedies.

Early Life and Family Background

Elisabeth was born into a family of considerable wealth and influence in St. Louis. Her father, George Washington Allen, was a lawyer and railroad capitalist who had served as mayor of St. Louis. Her mother, Lydia Jeanette McMillan, came from La Porte, Indiana. Elisabeth was one of five children, with siblings:

Thomas III (1877-1947)
Clare (1881-1970)
George Walton Hocker (1889-1973)
Whitelaw Reid (1891-1972)

In the late 1890s, the Allen family moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where Elisabeth and her sister Clare attended the prestigious Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Family Turmoil and Parental Divorce

The Allen family’s seemingly idyllic life began to unravel around the turn of the century. Elisabeth’s mother struggled with alcoholism, leading to a series of attempts by her father to “cure” her through travels to Paris, Canada, and Boston. These efforts proved unsuccessful, culminating in a dramatic custody dispute over Elisabeth’s younger brothers in 1901.

The family’s troubles became public when George Washington Allen ordered his eldest son Thomas to remove the two youngest boys from the family home, alleging that their mother was unfit to care for them due to her drinking. This led to a legal battle that played out in the newspapers, with Mrs. Allen accusing her sons of being kidnapped.

“They were not abducted. I told my elder son to secure possession of the children and to keep them away from their mother. He did so. I don’t know where he took them. I expect to do all I can to prevent their mother from securing them again, as she is not the proper kind of a person to have charge of them.”
The St Louis Republic, 21 January 1901

The outcome was unfavorable for Mrs. Allen, and George Washington Allen filed for divorce on January 1, 1902, citing his wife’s 15-year drinking habit. The divorce was granted, with Mr. Allen receiving custody of the minor sons. He remarried in March 1903 to Eliza Doherty of Atlanta.

European Travel and Engagement

By 1910, Elisabeth was not living with either parent, instead spending considerable time in Europe, particularly Britain. In January 1911, she traveled with her maternal aunt, Mrs. Elisabeth McMillan Robert, and her cousin Georgette Madill. During this period, Elisabeth became engaged to James Beaver Mennell, a physician born in London in 1880.

The Titanic Voyage

Why was Elisabeth on the Titanic?

Elisabeth boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a first-class passenger, intending to return to St. Louis to gather her belongings and settle her affairs in preparation for her upcoming marriage. She was accompanied by her aunt, cousin, and her aunt’s maid, Emilie Kreuchen.

Titanic Journey Details:

Ticket Number: 24160
Cabin: B5 (shared with cousin Georgette)
Ticket Cost: £221, 16s, 9d

Elisabeth’s Titanic Experience

Elisabeth survived the sinking, escaping in lifeboat 2 under the command of Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall. In her own words, she described the harrowing experience:

“As the Titanic plunged deeper and deeper we could see her stern rising higher and higher until her lights began to go out. As the last lights on the stern went out we saw her plunge distinctively, bow first and intact. Then the screams began and seemed to last eternally.”

Elisabeth was the first survivor to climb aboard the Carpathia, the ship that came to the Titanic’s rescue.

Life After the Titanic

Marriage and Family

On July 11, 1912, just months after the Titanic disaster, Elisabeth married James Beaver Mennell in a double wedding ceremony with her sister Clare in London. The couple made their home in England, initially in Kensington, London. They had three sons:

James Beaver (born June 7, 1913)
John McMillan (born January 21, 1916)
Peter (born August 29, 1918)

Later Years and Death

Elisabeth maintained close ties with her American roots, acting as regent of the Daughters of the Revolution’s English chapter. She continued to travel between England and the United States throughout her life.

James Mennell died on March 2, 1957, leaving Elisabeth a widow. She faced health challenges in her later years, suffering a stroke in the mid-1960s. Elisabeth passed away on December 15, 1967, at the age of 85 (eighty-five) in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Legacy

Elisabeth Walton Allen’s life spanned a period of significant historical change. From her privileged upbringing in the American Midwest to her survival of one of the 20th century’s most infamous disasters, her story provides a unique perspective on the era. Her experiences as a Titanic survivor, her transatlantic life, and her family’s public struggles offer valuable insights into the social dynamics of the early 1900s.

As one of the last first-class passengers to leave the Titanic, Elisabeth’s account of the sinking remains an important historical record. Her defense of Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line, provides a counterpoint to the prevalent narrative of the time. Elisabeth’s life after the Titanic, including her marriage, her sons’ achievements, and her continued connections to both American and British society, illustrates the resilience and adaptability of Titanic survivors in the decades following the disaster.