Elizabeth Anne Wilkinson

Who was Mrs Elizabeth Anne Wilkinson?

Mrs Elizabeth Anne Wilkinson was a 30-year-old (thirty-year-old) English woman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. She gained notoriety for her scandalous affair and deception surrounding her presence on the ill-fated voyage.

Early Life and Family

Elizabeth Anne Wilkinson, known as Lizzie, was born on February 3, 1882, in Newton Heath, Manchester, England. She was the youngest of two children born to William Wilkinson, a wheelwright turned paper dealer from Rochdale, and Mary Anne Jordan of Bradford. Lizzie grew up with her elder brother William in Swinton, Manchester.

Marriage and Affair

A Union in Salford

On May 20, 1907, at the age of 25 (twenty-five), Lizzie married Samuel Wilkinson in Salford. Samuel, like Lizzie’s father, was a paper dealer from Manchester. Interestingly, there’s a possibility that Lizzie and Samuel were second cousins, as both their fathers hailed from Rochdale.

A Childless Marriage

The couple’s marriage did not produce any children. By 1911, they were living at 47 Oldham Road in Failsworth, between Oldham and Manchester.

The Fateful Affair

At some point after her marriage, Lizzie became romantically involved with Harry Bartram Faunthorpe, an unmarried furniture salesman from Lincolnshire. The circumstances of their meeting remain a mystery, but their affair would lead to a daring and ultimately tragic plan.

The Titanic Voyage

A Clandestine Journey

Lizzie boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a second-class passenger, posing as the new wife of Harry Faunthorpe. Their joint ticket, number 2926, cost £26. The couple told fellow passengers they were embarking on a honeymoon to California.

Titanic Ticket Details:

Class: 2nd Class
Ticket Number: 2926
Price: £26

The Night of the Sinking

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, Lizzie was asleep when the Titanic struck the iceberg. In her own words:

“She was asleep, she says, at the time of the collision, but awakened by the shock. When she rushed upon deck she was ordered into a lifeboat, but feared to trust herself in one of the frail craft. While officers with drawn revolvers issued their orders, one of the men, she says, forced her bodily into the second boat…”
— The Evening Telegraph, April 26, 1912

Uncertain Rescue

While Lizzie survived the sinking, the exact lifeboat she escaped in remains uncertain. She claimed officers with drawn guns forced her into the ‘second boat’. Another survivor, Edwina Troutt, mentioned being with Lizzie, but Troutt’s own lifeboat is debated (possibly Collapsible D or one of the aft lifeboats).

Aftermath and Scandal

Loss and Deception

Tragically, Harry Faunthorpe did not survive the disaster. His body was later recovered with jewelry valued at $1000 among his effects.

Recovery in Philadelphia

After arriving in New York, Lizzie went to stay with her cousin John M. Devine at 669 Brooklyn Street, Philadelphia. She spent several weeks there recuperating from the shock of the disaster.

The Truth Unravels

The American Red Cross report reveals that Lizzie’s deception was eventually uncovered. It came to light that she had a husband back in Manchester, who reportedly accepted her back. Lizzie returned to England to face her real husband, Samuel.

Legal Action

In a surprising twist, the Toronto Daily Star reported in August 1912 that Lizzie had launched a lawsuit against the White Star Line, suing for $10,000 for the loss of her “husband.”

Legacy

The ultimate fate of Lizzie and Samuel’s marriage remains unclear, though there is speculation that they eventually divorced and remarried. Elizabeth Anne Wilkinson’s story serves as a fascinating tale of deception, survival, and the complex personal dramas that unfolded in the wake of one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters.