September 21st, 1871 - September 18th, 1951

She is a Virgo.

Elizabeth Inglis Mine was born in Edinburg, Midlothian, Scotland to Aberdeenshire natives Joseph Mine (born 1840), a comb maker, and Ann Margaret Adams Paterson (born 1842) who had married on June 10th, 1864 in their home country before settling in Edinburg where they started their family. Elizabeth's known siblings were: James Paterson (born 1865), Margaret Jane (born 1866), William (born 1888), and Robert (born 1870). In the year before Elisabeth's birth her family were listed on the 1871 census residing at Fountainbridge, St Cuttbert's, Edinburgh. The family continued to reside in the St Cuttbert's vicinity and appear on the 1881 census at Rosemount Buildings and on the 1891 census at Angle Park Terrace.

Curiously Elizabeth isn't listed with her parents and siblings on either record but is recorded elsewhere. When Elizabeth appears on the 1881 census she was living with her childless maternal aunt Mary Ann Shanks (born 1834), née Paterson, and her husband Robert Gray Shanks (born 1834), a basket maker, at Donalds Court, Schoolhill, St Nicholas, Aberdeen. Still living with them at the time of the 1891 census she was described as a dressmaker and living at Ashvale Place, Old Machar, Aberdeen. She was married in 1896 to James Reid Watt (October 17th, 1868), an architect and a native of Forfarshire (modern-day Angus) near Aberdeen and they had one child, a daughter named Robertha Josephine (born 1899), better known as Bertha. The family appear on the 1901 census living at Holburn Road, St Machar, Aberdeen and also living with them were active members of the Belmont Congregation Church.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
The family decided to settle in Portland, Oregon and James Watt would travel ahead of his wife and daughter, departing from Glasgow aboard the Anchor Line's Caledonia on October 21st, 1911. Elizabeth and Robertha boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton as 2nd class passengers. On board they shared a cabin with 2 other ladies, Ellen Toomey and Rosa Prinsky and it seems their social circle included Marion Wright, Kate Buss, and William Mellors. Elizabeth wrote a letter from Titanic on April 10th, 1912 which was posted in Queenstown and later published in the Portland Oregonian, April 24th, 1912:

'W.S.L. Titanic
Wednesday, April 10th, 7.05 p.m.
At last you will see we have started to cross the Atlantic. We have just taken on passengers at Cherbourg (France) and tomorrow we go to Queenstown (Ireland). Oh dear. The style is awful. It seems it is not a fast boat, it is built for comfort, not speed, and they say we won't be in till Wednesday night (the 17th). There are two other ladies in our stateroom, but it is nice and big; two wardrobes in one, with a large mirror door and four drawers, two wash basins, besides the lavatory and bathroom.'

Elizabeth was in bed but unable to sleep when she felt a tremendous bump and the engines stop. She threw on a night gown and ran out of her cabin and up the stairs. She examined crew to establish what the problem was but was told to not worry. Unconvinced she went onto deck where she met a man from Edinburgh (possibly Robert Douglas Norman) who informed her that the ship had hit an iceberg. She therefore returned to her cabin to fetch a heavy coat and then went back on deck. Elizabeth and Robertha were rescued in lifeboat 9 alongside Marion, Kate, Ellen, and Rosa.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
Whilst aboard the Carpathia Elizabeth later recalled how Robertha had gone off her food with the shock and told Joe they had to sleep in the sailors quarters. Still in the clothes they wore to leave the ship, Elizabeth made Robertha a skirt from one of the blankets given to them by the crew of the Carpathia. Elizabeth and her daughter were eventually reunited with her husband and they settled in Portland where she maintained lifelong contact with Marion who also lived in Oregon and became a surrogate grandmother to her children. She did, however, dislike discussing the Titanic disaster.

Elizabeth and her husband later settled in Vancouver, British Columbia where Robertha lived with her husband and family. Widowed in 1937, Elizabeth died on September 18th, 1951, just days shy of her 80th birthday, and was buried in Mountainview Cemetery, Vancouver.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Elizabeth Inglis Watt.