Ship's Cats by Nancy J. Farrier

 With Nancy J. Farrier

Photo_Wikimedia Commons

I love cats and was delighted when I stumbled across an article about a cat on a naval vessel. I hoped to find more about the early historical aspect of cats on ships, but didn’t find much. Supposedly, the Egyptians are the first seaman to include cats when they sailed. There are several famous cats. I would like to share a few of those stories with you. Some are heartwarming. Some are very sad.

Why cats on ships? Ships are known for having trouble with rats and mice. The rodents destroy food supplies and on earlier vessels they would chew through ropes endangering the crew. Cats, as a natural enemy to the rodent population, were an easy solution. Plus, they provided companionship to the crew during voyages.

Captain Matthew Flinders
Art by Toussaint Antoine
Wikimedia Commons

One of the earliest cats I read about was called Trim. Trim served under the command of Captain Matthew Flinders, an English navigator and cartographer in the early 1800’s. Trim was the first cat to circumnavigate Australia and the crew loved him almost as much as the captain did. He stayed with the captain his whole life and has been memorialized in literature and statues. One of the statues of Trim sits on a window sill in the State Library of New South Wales in Sidney.

Mrs. Chippy Memorial
Photo by Nigel Cross
Wikimedia Commons

Mrs. Chippy, a male cat, that sailed on the ship, Endurance with Shackleton, was so named because he followed the ship’s carpenter, McNeish, around like a wife. Mrs. Chippy was known for being an excellent mouser and was loved by the crew. When the Endurance became stuck in the ice, Shackleton realized the only way to save the crew was to go by lifeboat to the nearest land mass. He said the dogs and Mrs. Chippy had to remain behind. The crew was sad, but fed Mrs. Chippy her favorite sardines. Then Shackleton decided the animals were to be shot. McNeish objected, but was overruled, and his wonderful companion was killed. McNeish was the only member of the expedition denied the Polar Medal because of his insubordination. In 2004, a bronze likeness of Mrs. Chippy was commissioned and now rests on McNeish’s grave.

Tiddle by Bell Rope
Photo by Parnall
Wikimedia Commons

Tiddles was actually born aboard ship instead of being brought on board. Tiddles was known for having traveled over 30,000 miles during his time of service. He loved sitting on the aft capstan and playing with the bell rope. 

Convoy served aboard the HMS Hermione and was listed

Convoy by Beadell
Wikimedia Commons

in the ship’s log. He was treated as a member of the crew, receiving his own kit, which included a hammock where he slept. He accompanied the crew on many convoy missions, thus his name. Sadly, Convoy and 87 of the crew were killed in June 1942 when their ship was torpedoed by a German submarine.

Blackie and Winston Churchill
Photo by Capt. Horton
Wikimedia Commons

Blackie, a crew member aboard the HMS Prince of Wales, became famous during WWII. The HMS Prince of Wales carried Prime Minister Churchhill to his meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Newfoundland in 1941. This was a secret meeting, however as Churchhill was leaving the ship, he bent down to pet Blackie who came to bid him farewell. Someone took a photograph that became a popular picture in the news. Blackie later survived the sinking of the HMS Prince of Wales, and was taken to Singapore. When Singapore was evacuated, Blackie could not be found. Maybe he snuck aboard another ship to go back to sea. His fate was never determined.

There are so many stories of ship’s cats that I can’t share them all. Here is a wonderful blog post about cats on US ships, with pictures of these felines. 

I don’t believe cats are allowed on board Naval vessels any more, which I find a little sad. Have you ever heard of cats aboard ships? Have you ever had a cat in a boat with you? 

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

Tobacco Brides: Slavery, Indentureship or Empowerment

Rose & Tobacco by Annette at Pixabay

by Sherry Shindelar

Free clothes, linens, and household goods, and a 50-acre plot of land that will stay yours even after you marry. That’s what the ads said. The Virginia Company knew their market. In 17th-century England, getting married wasn’t as simple as falling in love and saying, “Will you marry me? I will. And I do.” The average man and woman had to work for years to earn enough money to equip a household before they could marry. For working-class women, that could mean servitude.

Then, in 1619 -1622, the Virginia Company offered a golden opportunity. Their colony, Jamestown, was in desperate need of women. The original settlers landed along the James River in 1607, with 105 passengers and 39 crew members, all male. Hundreds of colonists sailed the North Atlantic to Jamestown in the twelve years that followed and a few women had made the journey, but the colony was still almost all male.

Smith, John, and William Hole. Virginia

The colony’s investors feared that the colony would shrivel into oblivion due to the lack of brides. Too many men came to the colony with plans of making their fortune and then traveling back to England to settle down. A few others found a wife among the Powhatans and forsook the settlement to adopt the lifestyle of the native peoples.

If Jamestown were to survive and thrive, the colony needed families. The problem was how to persuade women to make the four month journey to a place riddled with disease and conflict, with a death rate of nearly fifty percent.

The company’s treasurer came up with a plan: Offer free passage, a dowry of household goods and other essentials, and free land, land that would not be swallowed up by coverture[1] when the woman married.

Ninety women came over in 1620, and another 56 in 1621-1622. And these adventurers were free to choose the husband of their choice, preferably among the wealthy bachelors since the Virginia Company expected to be reimbursed for the expenses of the dowry goods, the passage, and the land, payment to be made in Tobacco leaves, thus the name Tobacco Brides. The amount due was 120 -150 pounds of tobacco leaves, the equivalent of approximately $5,000 in our dollars today. If the selected groom couldn’t afford such a hefty sum, he could make payments.

Perhaps it was not too unlike today’s Bachelorette Show, an eligible bachelorette being courted by an array of strangers vying for her affection and seeking to persuade her that they could be the best providers. Records show that many of the women married within three months of arrival.

John Clark Ridpath's Jamestown Brides

Some have suggested that these women were “sold,” but that is not the case. They had the option to marry whom they chose, or to not marry and return across the stormy Atlantic to England. Becoming a Tobacco Bride offered women a possibility to marry, women who, otherwise, would have had to work years to save up enough to build a dowry or would have had difficulty attracting a husband. In addition it offered land ownership independent of their husband, and much more liberal inheritance laws for women than in England. An enhanced level of independence and the opportunity to select a husband from a stable of eligible bachelors: a winning combination for the bold, desperate, and/or adventurous.

[1] Coverture was a legal practice by which a woman’s legal identity was absorbed by her husband upon marrying.

Sherry Shindelar

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she isn’t busy writing, she is an English professor, working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is a multi-award-winning writer. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Connect with Sherry: website, newsletter, Amazon, FB, Goodreads

Texas Divided

Can she trust the man who ruined her life to rescue her future?Driven by the looming expectation of becoming a proper lady, Morning Fawn is determined to escape the confines of her uncle’s plantation and return to her adoptive Comanche tribe. But with each failed attempt, her hopes dwindle. The last thing she needs is help from the frontier soldier who put her there in the first place.

Disillusioned with the Confederacy and his role in Morning Fawn’s kidnapping, Devon Reynolds returns to Texas as a Yankee spy, determined to make amends. But can two wounded souls, each fighting their own battles, find solace and love amidst the chaos of war?

On this Day…1853 Helen Magill White by Donna Schlachter

Helen Magill 1873 courtesy Wikipedia

Helen Magill was born in Providence, Rhode Island on November 28, 1853. Her parents, Edward Hicks Magill and Sarah Warner Beans Magill, later had five more daughters, raising them in a Quaker setting. As such, she was brought up to believe she could and should have the same education as a man, and indeed, she and her five sisters became college teachers.

In 1859, the family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where Helen enrolled as the only female student at Boston Public Latin School, probably because her father was submaster there, teaching French and Latin.

When Helen was 16, her father became a professor at the new Swarthmore College, founded by Quakers, in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. She enrolled as an undergraduate, graduating in the Class of 1873, one of five women graduating in the first graduating class at the college, along with one man. By this time, her father had been the college’s second president for two years, and he went on to serve in that position for the next 15 years.

Helen attended graduate school at Boston University, earning her doctorate in Greek in 1877. She was the first female Ph.D. in the United States. She then traveled to England, studying at the University of Cambridge. However, due to illness (she struggled with depression most of her life), she ranked only third in her 1881 honors examination at Newnham College, which she felt negatively impacted her academic career.

An interesting note here is that her dissertation, The Greek Drama, was lost until being located in her papers in the Rare Book and Manuscript Collections of Cornell University Library in 2018.

Apart from Helen, Boston University is also known for awarding other notable degrees: To Anna Oliver, the first degree to a woman in theology in the US in 1878; To Lelia Robinson, the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1881; and to Solomon Carter Fuller, the first place psychiatrist in the US. He graduated from the university’s School of Medicine in 1897, and made significant contributions to the study of Alzheimer’s disease.

Helen’s career began with serving for one year at a private school in Pennsylvania, before being recommended to organize Howard Collegiate Institute in Massachusetts in 1883. At the time, the school hosted about 40 women, and Helen hired teachers and taught college courses. She taught here until 1887.

Andrew D. White 1885 courtesy Wikipedia

Helen met her future husband, Andrew D. White, around this time while presenting a paper about her time at Newnham College. A college contemporary of Helen’s father, he had formerly served as the first president of Cornell University, His wife had died a year earlier. He encouraged her to apply as Director of Sage College for Women at Cornell, but she was hesitant because of her previous experience at Howard College and her ongoing depression.

After leaving Howard Collegiate, she taught at Evelyn College for women, an annex of Princeton University, leaving there (perhaps following a bout of depression) to teach geography at Brooklyn High School for several years. During this time, Helen kept in communication, finally marrying in 1890. They had three children together.

Helen joined her husband in St. Petersburg and Berlin where he served in diplomatic posts. She was an asset to his career, presented at both courts, and was much sought after for her understanding of architecture, sculptures, music, and literature.

When they returned to the US, she maintained a private life, choosing to keep her home and raise her children away from the public or academic spotlight.

After her husband died in 1918, and with her children grown and on their own, she lived several years abroad, returning to the US, then retiring to Kittery Point, Maine, where she died in 1944, one month shy of her 91st birthday.

While Helen’s letters and correspondence indicated she felt she could have achieved much more if she’d criticized less, there is no question that she was a brave woman who tested social norms and changed university traditions that usually excluded women. As such, we can remember her this month for making room for all of our daughters, sisters, and granddaughters in higher education.



Leave a comment about Helen Magill White and share your thoughts about her persevering spirit.





About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed writers eager to tell their story.



www.DonnaSchlachter.com

Newsletter: https://www.thepurposefullwriter.com/newslettersignup Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive 2 free ebooks simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Donna-Schlachter/author/B01180A2EE

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14116621.Donna_Schlachter

The Purpose-Full Writer: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Need a writing coach? www.ThePurposeFullWriter.com





Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_University

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Magill_White

More Than Myths: What Women Actually Wore Under Their Dresses

by Kimberly Keagan


My books all take place in the Gilded Age, and I try to incorporate historical facts about events, clothing, and even weather. But not that long ago, my daughter brought me to task when one of my female characters made a quip about corsets cutting off her breath. “You know,” my daughter said, “that’s not historically accurate.”

Really? It seems like modern movies and books all depict the torture that was the corset. I’ve even seen articles in newspapers from the 1800s in which doctors claimed corsets were bad for a woman’s health. But knowing that my daughter tends to be correct more often than I’d like to admit, I did some digging.

What I discovered is that while corsets were certainly part of the expectations placed on women of the past, many of the common assumptions don’t hold up to historical fact—and the corset had many practical uses.

Before the Victorian corset, women in the Regency era wore stays—lightly boned garments with shoulder straps and a stiff busk in front. Their purpose was to support the bust and create smooth lines under high-waist gowns.

 

Corset, American or European, 1790-1810
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Open Access) at metmuseum.org

By the mid-1800s, Joseph Cooper patented the familiar front-opening corset, making daily dressing dramatically easier. No lady needed a maid stationed behind her every morning just to lace her in—she could fasten the corset herself and then adjust the laces as needed.

And, yes, people wore corsets every day. Not just women in drawing rooms, but shopkeepers, mothers, cooks, laundresses, and factory workers. A garment that made you faint or prevented you from bending over simply wouldn’t survive real life.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about corsets comes from imagining them worn directly against the skin. That simply wasn’t the case. First came the chemise or shift—a soft cotton or linen undergarment worn against the skin to protect the corset from sweat, oils, and everyday wear. The corset was then placed over the chemise. It provided lift, posture, and the fashionable silhouette of the era—usually far gentler than modern myths suggest. Over that came a thin cotton corset cover, worn to soften boning lines, prevent snagging, and add modesty under light-colored blouses. It was practical, but often very pretty, too. 

 

 
The Chemise, American or European, 1860-61, metmuseum.org 

 

 
Corset, England, 1860, metmueseum.org 

 

 
Corset Cover, American, 1887, metmuseum.org

Contrary to modern commentary, the illusion of a tiny waist wasn’t created by an overly cinched corset, but by dramatic skirt supports. Attached to the waist or hips, these gave skirts their shape—bell forms in the 1850s and bustles in the 1870s–90s. Only after all of that did the woman’s dress go on.

Each layer had a purpose, and together they made movement—and modesty—possible. Could they leap high hurdles in their corsets? Probably not. But the idea that they couldn’t bend, breathe, or function simply isn’t accurate. Tight-lacing certainly existed, but it was unusual and widely debated even in its own day. Doctors warned against it, clergy condemned it, and newspapers wrote satirical cartoons about women who pursued extreme fashion at the expense of good sense. However, most women didn’t lace themselves anywhere near those extremes. Much like tying shoes—you tighten them enough for support, not enough to prevent walking.

And one more myth-buster: women weren’t the only ones who wore corsets. Throughout the 1800s, men often wore them to achieve the fashionable slim waist that complemented their fitted coats and trousers. Companies even advertised men’s corsets for improved posture and spinal complaints.

Understanding what women actually wore—layer by layer—gives us a clearer, kinder picture of their lives. Yes, corsets reflected the beauty standards and expectations of their time. But they were also practical, supportive garments that women lived, worked, worshiped, and raised families in. Truth be told, they were far more practical than some of the things women wear today. Like four-inch heels!

Christian Louboutin, NeimanMarcus.com

About the author:

Kimberly Keagan is a former corporate financial writer (not very romantic) who now crafts historical romances filled with strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, faith, and a touch of humor. Her debut novel, Perfect, released in May 2025. Go to KimberlyKeagan.com and download her free Christmas novelette!

Reaching for the Beaufort by Cindy Regnier

 I’m guessing most of us have heard of the Northwest Passage, the route that takes ships back and forth between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean via the Arctic Ocean near the northern borders of North America. But did you know, many ships and lives were lost in the attempts to find this route? The many islands and ice clogged waterways of the Arctic Archipelago made it very dangerous, especially for the early explorers looking for a route they weren’t sure even existed.

Ptolemy map

The idea of a sea passage from Europe to East Asia dates back to the second century A.D. as noted in the world maps drawn by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. Europeans developed an active interest in the sea passage after the Ottoman Empire over all the major overland trade routes between Europe and Asia in the fifteenth century.

 

This century finds the first record of explorers searching for the elusive passage, but these attempts were made so treacherous by the ice  that most expeditions were counted as failures shortly after beginning. Many tried and failed being met with thousands of giant icebergs rising up from the sea like mountains and huge masses of sea ice that could seal the waterways and trap ships unable to go forward or return. Some of the more notable explorers that searched were Henry Hudson, John Cabot and Jacques Cartier.

John Franklin

 Perhaps the greatest tragedy occurred in 1845 led by Sir John Franklin of the English navy. 128 men aboard two ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror vanished without trace. Most believe the ships became ice-bound and were abandoned.

In 1850, Irish explorer Robert McClure and his crew set sail from England in search of Franklin’s lost expedition. McClure was able to confirm the existence of a route, though they did abandon the ship at one point and crossed the ice by sled. More than fifty years later Roald Amundsen would make the entire passage by sea, the first time in recorded history. After a three-year expedition, Amundsen and his crew, aboard a small fishing ship called Gjoa, emerged in the Beaufort Sea on Alaska’s Pacific coast in 1906.

Roald Amundsen

Even after the route was charted and established, it was rarely used as the passage was only open about one month of every year due to the ice cover. In other words, if you sailed this route, you remained on the other side for a year until you could make it back. It wasn’t until the summer of 2007 that the route was found to be entirely ice-free for the first time in history

As an item of note, a Canadian diving expedition found the wreckage of the HMS Erebus in 2014 off of King William Island. The wreckage of the HMS Terror was discovered slightly north, in Terror Bay, two years later.

Beaufort Sea off Alaska

So there you have it. Many brave explorers gave their lives to find the Northwest Passage that is now an important shipping route. Would you have been brave enough to set out on such a dangerous mission? I know I wouldn’t have.

 Rand isn't looking for true love. What he needs is a wife to help care for his orphan nieces. Desperate, he sends an advertisement and hopes for the best.
Fleeing her former employer who would use her to further his unlawful acts, an advertisement reads like the perfect refuge to Carly. Hiding herself on a Kansas cattle ranch is her best shot for freedom.
But its sanctuary comes with a price. While marrying a man she doesn't know or love means sacrificing her dreams, it's better than being caught by the law.
Or is it?

The History of Cowboy Boots

By Jennifer Uhlarik

 

Happy November, readers! In just a few days, we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving! Are you ready? What are you thankful for?

 

Perhaps it seems silly, but beyond being immensely thankful for family, friends, and the usual things people say, I am thankful for our nation’s unique heritage. We have such a melting pot of cultures…with so many nationalities and cultures represented across our land. But one of the decidedly American things about our country that grabbed my heart as a little girl was the cowboy culture of the American West. This part of Americana has spawned me to write and publish fifteen stories about the Old West or parts of that culture, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! So, I thought I’d explore another piece of that culture today by looking at the history of iconic cowboy boots.

 

The Roots of Riding Boots

For centuries, riders have needed sturdy footwear to protect their feet while working around or riding horses. Of course, just as with the rodeo and the cowboy’s large belt buckles, the Vaqueros provided the basis for the boots that would eventually evolve into our modern cowboy boots. 

 

The Vaqueros were livestock herders who rode horses while performing their duties. Originally from Spain, they came to Mexico and Florida and worked their way up into the area we now know as the American Southwest. They needed sturdy footwear that would be easy to get in and out of the saddle stirrups, as well as that could keep their heels from slipping through the stirrup. (Such a mishap could prove deadly if the rider was thrown from the saddle with his foot trapped—as he could be dragged by the horse with no way to rescue himself). Also, they wanted to protect their legs from thorny plants, snakes, and other such dangers. So these men developed a style of boot with a tall shaft and a heel to prevent their feet from becoming stirrup-bound. They were basic cowhide, sometimes made in the colors of their respective ranches.

 

Wellington and Hessian boot styles

The military also adopted a tall boot with a heel. Hessian Boots or Wellingtons (the leather precursor to the rubber rain boots we know by that name today) are two such styles—first worn by cavalry troops in 19^th century Europe. These were often made from a single piece of dark-colored leather, with a rounded toe, a slight heel, and a tall shaft, they made for a sharp accent to the military garb, and they served to protect a rider’s feet and legs from the problems mentioned above. 

 

Evolving Styles

In the post-Civil War America, many men made their way to the western states and territories. Particularly in Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma, cattle ranching was big business, and boots were in high demand. It was then that these utilitarian styles began to change. In some cases, the boot makers took the typically rounded toes and made them pointier, to make it easier for the wearer to slide his toes in or out of the stirrups. In other cases, the height of the stacked-leather heels was shortened to make walking in the boots over longer distances easier. Still others added decorative stitching to the shafts of the boots or created cutouts or patterns with different colors or materials—purely for ornamentation. Those cowboys who could afford two pairs of boots often kept one pair for work and a second, fancier pair for going to town.

By the 1930s and 40s, the cowboy boots took on an even more decorative style, since they became an iconic image of the American cowboy in movies. The point of the toes became more pronounced, and the patterns of stitching or inset leathers became more colorful and noticeable. Then, in the 50s, rodeo stars who competed in roping competitions asked for changes specific to their particular contests. They needed shorter shafts, rounder toes, and more of a block heel to help them dismount quickly and safely and be able to run. Thus, the “Roper” style was born.

 

Modern Boots

Today’s modern cowboy boots aren’t just for cowboys anymore. They’ve become a fashion statement of their own, worn by people in many different walks of life. They come in many shapes and sizes and can be worn for work, casual outings, social events, and even in formal settings like weddings or gala dinners.

 

Depending on style, the shaft of a cowboy boot falls between eight and seventeen inches tall. The toes of the boots can be square, round, pointed, snip (a pointed toe, but with the tip “snipped” off), wide snip (a pointed toe with a wider “snip”), or other variations of these themes. The stitching styles can be a simple, monochromatic style or might include multiple colors in geometric or starburst patterns. Truly ornate patterns may have elaborate floral stitching adorning the entire boot. Other options of ornamentation are stamped or tooled leather, colorful insets like stars, playing cards, or crosses. And exotic materials like alligator, ostrich, or snakeskin are often used to make a statement.

 

And the iconic cowboy boot styles have even been adapted into shoe styles, lopping off the traditional boot shaft but keeping the pointed or snipped-toe shape of the foot. Over time, these popular styles have shifted from utilitarian to fashionable, but one thing is for sure—it doesn’t appear that the cowboy boot is going anywhere anytime soon.

 

It’s Your Turn: Do you like cowboy boots? Do you own a pair? 

 

 

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered western novels at twelve when she swiped the only “horse” book from her brother’s bookshelf. Across the next decade, she devoured westerns and fell in love with the genre. While attaining a B.A. in writing from the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. She has finaled in and won numerous writing competitions and appeared on various best-seller lists. Besides writing, she’s been a business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, a historical researcher, a publisher, and a full-time homemaker. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband and fur children.

 

 

Love and Order: A Three-Part Old West Romantic Mystery

Wanted: 

Family, Love, and Justice

One Old West Mystery Solved Throughout Three Short Romantic Stories

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

 

Youngest child, Callie, has pushed past her insecurities to pursue a career as a Pinkerton agent. Middle child, Andi, has spent years studying law under her adoptive father’s tutelage. And the eldest and only son, Rion, is a rough-and-tumble bounty hunter. 

 

When the hunt for a serial killer with a long history of murders reunites the brother and sisters in Cambria Springs, Colorado, they find themselves not only in a fight for justice, but also a fight to keep their newly reunited family intact. How will they navigate these challenges when further complicated by unexpected romances?

 

Children of a Doomed Voyage: the SS City of Benares PART 5: The Bech Family

By Terrie Todd

Not all the passengers aboard the SS City of Benares were part of the CORB program. A few private fee-paying passengers booked passage on board for various reasons. Some were VIPs on government business, others were continuing their flight from Nazi-occupied Europe. A few were mothers taking their children to North America and leaving their husbands behind to continue their contributions to the war effort.

The town hall in Bognor Regis, Sussex, was still new when the Bech family left on their ill-fated trip.

Among the mothers was Marguerite Bech, along with her three children: Barbara, 14, Sonia, 11, and Derek, 9. Marguerite had vivid memories of Zeppelin raids during WWI and had become more and more terrified as air raids began in their small town of Bognor Regis. As overhead dogfights took place on the Sussex coast where they lived and bombers crashed on the beach, Marguerite made the decision to take the children to Canada, where they could spend the remainder of the war with old family connections.

Liverpool's luxurious Adelphi Hotel still operates today.

The first leg of their journey on September 11, 1940, took them to Liverpool’s premier hotel, the luxurious Adelphi, where the children were impressed with a whole suite just for them and an ensuite bathroom—something they hadn’t seen before. They gladly settled into their beds, only to be disturbed by a knock on the door. The air-raid siren had sounded, and they were to evacuate to the basement—the former Turkish baths, orhammam. So, they packed up and spent the night on wooden benches surrounded by mosaic tiles, the crashing and banging of bombs dropping around them. Near morning, they were allowed back to their room, where they tried to grab a couple of hours of sleep before having to leave for the docks. Sonia, 11, admitted to a sinking feeling as they boarded the Benares, but in the rush and excitement around her, she quickly forgot her misgivings.

Although housed at the opposite end of the steamship from the CORB children, the Bechs were equally as impressed with the posh liner and the abundance of food onboard. They quickly made friends among the other first-class private passengers, barely aware that so many children were on board.

Marguerite made sure her children took the daily lifeboat drills seriously, wore their life jackets at all times, and kept an emergency bag packed and ready to grab in the event of an emergency. Barbara Bech later wondered whether the drills left the children with a false sense of security. Sure, they knew what to do if the alarms sounded. But they never did the drills at night or during a storm, and they never lowered the boats. “Nobody would have dreamt of discussing not getting to Canada,” she said. “We were on our way and that was it.”

The SS City of Benares

When the ship was torpedoed on the night of September 17 in the middle of a storm, they felt ill-prepared indeed. They dressed and gathered at their muster station, where they awaited further instructions that did not come. Finally, a crew member burst in, shocked to find the room still full of people. “Get to your lifeboats because the ship’s going down!” he hollered. The Bech family clambered up to the lifeboat deck, but the boats had all been lowered to the water. Barbara volunteered to go down on the ropes. She’d learned to climb up and down ropes in gym class, but didn’t realize her stiff, lace-up shoes would not grip the rope. Hand over hand, she managed to lower herself to the boat below, already filled with passengers. Soon, her boat drifted away from the sinking ship without her family.

Marguerite, Sonia, and Derek ended up on a rickety raft to which they spent several hours clinging by their fingernails. At daybreak, another lifeboat picked them up. Not until they were rescued by the HMS Hurricane around six p.m. on September 18 did they learn that Barbara had survived and were reunited with her. From Scotland, the family caught a train to their home in Bognor Regis where they remained. Only Sonia eventually made it to Canada, where she taught school for three years before returning to England.

Their story can be read in more detail in Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-Boat Attack, by Tom Nagorski.

Even If Perish is Terrie’s novel based on the sinking of the SS City of Benares and on the heroism of escort Mary Cornish and the six boys she cared for in a lifeboat for eight days. Terrie is the award-winning author of ten historical and two split-time novels, most of which have won Word Awards through The Word Guild. Her 2023 release, April’s Promise, was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards. She lives with her husband, Jon, on the Canadian prairies. 

 

 

“If I perish, I perish.” A sermon based on Queen Esther’s famous

words spurs music teacher Mary Cornish to action. She volunteers to escort a group of 15 girls from England to Canada as part of Britain’s World War II child evacuation program.

All is well aboard the SS City of Benares until September 17, 1940. With a storm brewing in the North Atlantic, a German U-boat releases its torpedo and breaches the ship’s hull. Do the Nazis know ninety children are on board?

In the scramble to save as many lives as possible, Mary lands in a crowded lifeboat as the only female among crew members, passengers, and six young boys. In the storm’s aftermath, two things soon become crystal clear: that Lifeboat 12 has become separated from all the others, and that Mary has been placed here for such a time as this—even if she perishes.

Follow Terrie here:

Blog

Facebook

Quarterly Newsletter Sign-up