Ellen Mary Barber

Who was Ellen Mary “Nellie” Barber?

Ellen Mary “Nellie” Barber was a 26-year-old (twenty-six-year-old) English first-class passenger and Titanic survivor who worked as a personal maid to Mrs. Julia Florence Cavendish. Born on August 31, 1885, in Penshurst, Kent, Nellie embarked on the Titanic at Southampton and was rescued in lifeboat 6 during the ship’s tragic sinking on April 15, 1912.

Early Life and Family

Childhood in Kent

Nellie was born into a working-class family in the small village of Penshurst, near Tonbridge in Kent, England. Her father, William Hopkins Barber (1859-1935), worked as a house carpenter, while her mother was the former Fanny Izzard (b. 1859). Nellie was the eldest of two children, with a younger sister named Edith Emily (b. 1888).

Education and Early Employment

While details about Nellie’s formal education are scarce, census records provide glimpses into her early life:

• 1891: The family lived at The Warren in Penshurst
• 1901: At age 15, Nellie had no stated profession while residing at The Square in Penshurst
• 1911: Nellie was employed as a domestic ladies’ maid for the Cavendish family at Little Onn Hall in Church Eaton, Stafford

Life as a Lady’s Maid

Working for the Cavendish Family

By 1911, Nellie had secured a position as a personal maid to Mrs. Julia Florence Cavendish, wife of Tyrell William Cavendish. This role elevated her social status and provided opportunities for travel. In January 1911, Nellie accompanied Mrs. Cavendish on a transatlantic voyage aboard the Oceanic, demonstrating her experience with ocean travel prior to the Titanic.

Boarding the Titanic

On April 10, 1912, Nellie boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton with the Cavendish family. They traveled first-class on ticket number 19877, which cost £78 17s. Their destination was Orienta Point in Mamaroneck, New York, the home of Mrs. Cavendish’s father, Henry Siegel.

The Fateful Night

April 14, 1912

Nellie’s account of the day leading up to the disaster provides a fascinating glimpse into life aboard the Titanic:

“It was a nice day, and after breakfast I went up on board to sit in a deckchair and get on with some needlework. Next to me sat the millionaire, Mr Jacob Astor. All that afternoon was spent in reading and sitting in a deckchair in the warm Atlantic breeze… I remember Mrs Cavendish telling me there was a service in the lounge if I wanted to go to it. I did not go.”

The Collision and Evacuation

After retiring to her cabin around 10:30 PM, Nellie was awakened by the ship’s collision with the iceberg:

“I just felt a bump. It made me stir momentarily, but that was all. I thought no more about it. Then I heard a lot of noise in the passage outside, so I thought I’d better go and investigate.”

As the situation became dire, Nellie helped Mrs. Cavendish dress and put on her lifebelt. Mr. Cavendish saw the two women into a lifeboat before disappearing among the other passengers.

Survival and Aftermath

Lifeboat 6

Nellie and Mrs. Cavendish were rescued in lifeboat 6. Nellie recounted a harrowing detail about their escape:

“I even hid my eyes when they told me the ship was going down behind us. I was too scared. The only way I knew it had gone was because until then the sea had been lit up by its thousand and one lights. Suddenly everything was black. I knew that for many the end had come.”

Return to England and Further Travels

After being rescued by the Carpathia, Nellie returned to England with Mrs. Cavendish. However, she soon braved the seas again, arriving in New York on July 10, 1912, aboard the Kronprinz Wilhelm with Mrs. Cavendish and her children.

Later Life and Legacy

Life After the Titanic

Nellie never married and eventually retired to London. In 1939, she was listed as a dressmaker. She maintained contact with Mrs. Cavendish even after their professional relationship ended.

Breaking Her Silence

In 1958, Nellie broke her 46-year silence about the Titanic disaster, granting an interview to The Acton Gazette. This interview sparked controversy, with fellow survivor Violet Jessop publicly rebutting some of Nellie’s claims.

Final Years

Nellie Barber passed away on May 2, 1963, at the age of 77 (seventy-seven) in London’s South Western Hospital. She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered in the main garden at Streatham Park Cemetery & Crematorium in Lambeth.

Ellen Mary “Nellie” Barber’s life story provides a unique perspective on the Titanic disaster, offering insights into the experiences of domestic staff aboard the ill-fated ship and their lives in the decades that followed.