Barbara West
Encyclopedia
Barbara Joyce Dainton was the second-to-last remaining survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on 14 April 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage.
, England
on 24 May 1911 to Edwy Arthur West and Ada Mary Worth. Ada had given birth to a daughter, Constance, in 1907, and was pregnant with a third child when she boarded the Titanic.
Edwy decided to start a new life in the fruit culture business in Gainesville, Florida
and, along with his wife and two children, were immigrating there by way of the Titanic.
When the Titanic collided with an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912 Barbara was asleep in her cabin. Her mother, Ada, later recalled:
Barbara, her mother, and sister, all survived the sinking and were picked up by the rescue ship, RMS Carpathia
. Her father's body, if recovered, was never identified.
The surviving West family arrived in New York City
aboard the RMS Carpathia
on 18 April. Upon their arrival, Ada booked passage for herself and her daughters aboard the White Star Line's
RMS Celtic. The ship arrived at Liverpool
, England
on May 6 and Ada gave birth to a third daughter, Edwyna Joan, on 14 September.
Ada died on 20 April 1953 at the age of 74 and Constance died on 12 September 1963 at the age of 56. Little is known about Barbara's sister, Edwyna.
until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
in 1936. After returning to England
, Barbara taught at a high school in Guildford, England.
In the 1950s, Barbara starting teaching at a Truro, England school and later became deputy head of physical education at a Plymstock
school until 1972.
Her later years saw her living in Truro
, England
where she volunteered as a guide at the Truro Cathedral
where lies a memorial tablet to her father. Shortly before her death, Barbara became incapacitated and required full-time care.
, England
at the age of 96. Her funeral was held 5 November at the Truro Cathedral
. To avoid unwanted attention and maintain privacy, Barbara insisted that her funeral take place before any public announcement of her death. Barbara's death made Millvina Dean, then 95, of Southampton, England, the last living survivor of the Titanic sinking. Milvina Dean died 19 months later. However, neither she nor Dean had any recollection of the sinking, as they were both less than a year old at the time. The third last living survivor of the sinking, Lillian Asplund
, who died in May 2006 at the age of 99 and had been five years old when the Titanic sunk, was the last living survivor who could remember the sinking first hand.
Early life
Barbara Joyce West was born in BournemouthBournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 24 May 1911 to Edwy Arthur West and Ada Mary Worth. Ada had given birth to a daughter, Constance, in 1907, and was pregnant with a third child when she boarded the Titanic.
Edwy decided to start a new life in the fruit culture business in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
and, along with his wife and two children, were immigrating there by way of the Titanic.
Aboard Titanic
Barbara, her parents, and older sister, Constance, boarded the Titanic on 10 April 1912 at Southampton, England as second-class passengers. Barbara was just 10 months and 18 days old making her the second youngest passenger on board.When the Titanic collided with an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912 Barbara was asleep in her cabin. Her mother, Ada, later recalled:
We were all asleep when the collision took place, but were only jolted in our berths-my husband and children not even being awakened, and it was only the hurrying of passengers outside the cabin that caused alarm. The steward made us all get up and dress thoroughly with plenty of warm things. Arthur placed lifebelts upon the children and then carried them to the boat deck. I followed carrying my handbag. After seeing us safely into the lifeboat, Arthur returned to the cabin for a thermos of hot milk, and, finding the lifeboat let down, he reached it by means of a rope, gave the flask to me, and, with a farewell, returned to the deck of the ship.
Barbara, her mother, and sister, all survived the sinking and were picked up by the rescue ship, RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia made her maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of after the latter ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912...
. Her father's body, if recovered, was never identified.
The surviving West family arrived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
aboard the RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia made her maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of after the latter ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912...
on 18 April. Upon their arrival, Ada booked passage for herself and her daughters aboard the White Star Line's
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
RMS Celtic. The ship arrived at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on May 6 and Ada gave birth to a third daughter, Edwyna Joan, on 14 September.
Ada died on 20 April 1953 at the age of 74 and Constance died on 12 September 1963 at the age of 56. Little is known about Barbara's sister, Edwyna.
Schooling and career
As a child, Barbara attended the Worshipful Boarding School in Purley, England and went on to attend the Truro High School all girls' school and St. Luke's College in Exeter. After college, Barbara became a governess to a Cornish family and moved with them to SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in 1936. After returning to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Barbara taught at a high school in Guildford, England.
In the 1950s, Barbara starting teaching at a Truro, England school and later became deputy head of physical education at a Plymstock
Plymstock
Plymstock is a civil parish and commuter suburb of Plymouth in the English county of Devon.The earliest surviving documentary reference to the place is as Plemestocha in the Domesday Book and its name is derived from Old English meaning either "outlying farm with a plum-tree" or, if it is short for...
school until 1972.
Marriages
In 1938, Barbara married Stanley Winder, a rugby-player. The two were married for 13 years before Stanley died of a heart attack in 1951. Barbara was married to her second husband, William Ernest Barrel Dainton from 1952 until his death in 1990.Later life
Throughout her life, Barbara avoided all publicity associated with the Titanic. As she aged and became one of only a handful of living survivors, interest in Barbara's story grew, but she refused to discuss the disaster outside her family circle often saying she wanted 'nothing to do with the Titanic people'. She did, however, communicate sparingly with the British Titanic Society, but such communication was heavily guarded.Her later years saw her living in Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where she volunteered as a guide at the Truro Cathedral
Truro Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro is an Anglican cathedral located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style fashionable during much of the nineteenth century, and is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom...
where lies a memorial tablet to her father. Shortly before her death, Barbara became incapacitated and required full-time care.
Death
Barbara died on 16 October 2007 in TruroTruro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the age of 96. Her funeral was held 5 November at the Truro Cathedral
Truro Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro is an Anglican cathedral located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style fashionable during much of the nineteenth century, and is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom...
. To avoid unwanted attention and maintain privacy, Barbara insisted that her funeral take place before any public announcement of her death. Barbara's death made Millvina Dean, then 95, of Southampton, England, the last living survivor of the Titanic sinking. Milvina Dean died 19 months later. However, neither she nor Dean had any recollection of the sinking, as they were both less than a year old at the time. The third last living survivor of the sinking, Lillian Asplund
Lillian Asplund
Lillian Gertrud Asplund was one of the last three living survivors of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912; and more importantly, the last surviving person with memories of the disaster, as the other two last survivors were less than one year old at the time of the sinking.-Early...
, who died in May 2006 at the age of 99 and had been five years old when the Titanic sunk, was the last living survivor who could remember the sinking first hand.