People on board

WOODHOUSE, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Susan Woodhouse was born on 4 September 1888 alongside her twin sister Emily Mary. Their parents were John Henry Woodhouse and Mary Emily Bradley who had married in 1885 in Dublin. He gave his occupation as ‘Bookseller’ and she as ‘Stationer’, and he also was involved in the firm Woodhouse and Co. Die Engravers and Medallists. At this stage the family’s address was 61 Lombard St., South Circular Rd. but when the next child, Anne, was born they were living in North Frederick St. Anne appears to have called herself Ruby, at least from the 1901 census. They were living on Clonliffe Rd. in 1893 when Henry Richard was born and at 80 Eccles St. in 1896 where Florence was born. Henry’s occupation on the birth certificates ranged from ‘Shopman’ to ‘Bookseller’ to ‘Clerk’, and he was ‘Bookseller’ again in the 1901 census.

It is not clear what happened to the family between 1901 and 1911 but neither John nor the three younger children can be found in the 1911 census. Mary Emily was listed in a hospital on Townsend St. as a Nurse and a widow. This was the Lock Hospital, for women with sexual diseases. Mary died there in 1919 at the age of forty-eight, when the cause of death given on the certificate was ‘Pneumonia 6 days, General paralysis of insane’. She is buried in Glasnevin cemetery where the record states that she died of ‘Heart Failure’ and that she was the widow of a ‘Commercial Traveller.’

The twins, Elizabeth and Emily, were living at 49 Grafton St. in 1911, occupying two rooms, with Emily’s occupation given as ‘Book Keeper’ and Elizabeth’s as ‘Shop Assistant’. In 1916 Ruby reappeared in the Property Losses Claims lists after the Easter Rising, when, as an employee of Clery and Co., Sackville St., she claimed £2 3s for the loss of clothing and jewellery. She was awarded £2. Her address in the claim was given as 12 Harcourt St.

It is not known why Elizabeth was travelling on RMS Leinster on 10 October 1918 but she did not survive the sinking. Her body however was recovered and brought to St Michael’s Hospital in Kingstown. She was buried in Glasnevin cemetery.