Particularly fascinating are the accounts of the Salvation Army’s early life in Folkestone, where Elizabeth’s father was a leading musical and organisational light. And very interesting it is to those of us who enjoy social history. The book is mostly devoted to their life of service together to their less virtuous, or more unfortunate, fellow human beings, and to that iconic mainstay of the Salvation Army - music. She can, however, be credited with having accurately observed the ship breaking in two just before it sank.Īfter the sinking, the widow Elizabeth Nye married fellow-Salvationist George Darby, also an English emigrant to the USA.

The actual sinking is but a small part of this book, although it does reproduce Elizabeth’s immediate post-sinking account to her parents and some inaccurate, probably embellished, journalistic narratives based on her impressions. Unfortunately, she was bumped off the Philadelphia and onto the Titanic. In her situation, I doubt if I would have decided to return to America alone, where she had briefly lived, but she was in the family of the Salvation Army, so would have had fewer qualms. Sorrow was, of course, no stranger to late Victorian women and Elizabeth was no exception, losing her first husband and a tiny daughter. I have not seen a Salvationist in decades.Īs I lolled on the sofa reading this book, with a hedonistic bottle of white wine and snacks to hand, I was struck by the great contrast in my life to Elizabeth’s, and I began to feel distinctly lacking in public spirit, and more than a little exhausted by her energy, commitment and resilience. The Salvation Army bands also used to march and play on Sundays, and were regarded with affection by everybody. They always seemed very successful, with grizzled old guys with boozer’s noses willingly donating the price of a pint, and accepting a copy of The Warcry in return which, I’m sure, they never read. The women wore basically the same uniform that Elizabeth did so many years beforehand, and undertook fundraising in fleshpots of which they did not approve (pubs). I have a residual affection for the Sally Army because, in my youth, they still fulfilled a very public role.

This is because Elizabeth was a Salvationist, and her commitment to this organisation is the underlying theme of her story. This fondly-written book had a strange overall effect upon me - it almost made me wish I were religious.

Imformation about mrs elizabeth nye