Key facts about Ada Mary West
- Ada Mary Worth was born in Truro, Cornwall, on February 17, 1879 and married Edwy Arthur West in 1905.
- The West family planned to settle in Gainesville, Florida, where Edwy hoped to begin a fruit-growing business.
- Ada was pregnant during the voyage and travelled with daughters Constance, age four, and Barbara, ten months old.
- Ada and both children survived in Lifeboat 11; Edwy died in the sinking.
- On September 14, 1912, Ada gave birth to another daughter, Edwyna Joan, whose name honoured her lost father.
Ada West grew up in Cornwall and started a family in England
Ada Mary Worth was born in Truro, Cornwall, on February 17, 1879. She was the youngest child of printer and bookseller Thomas Worth and Ruth Pearce. In September 1905 she married Edwy Arthur West, also from Cornwall.
The couple lived in Bristol and later Bournemouth. Their daughter Constance Miriam was born in 1907 and Barbara Joyce followed in 1911. By 1912 Ada was pregnant again, and the family had decided to leave Britain for a new life in the United States.
The family planned to start a fruit business in Florida
The Wests bought second class ticket 34651 for £27 15s and boarded Titanic at Southampton. Their destination was Gainesville, Florida, where they planned to establish a fruit-growing business.
The plan makes their voyage especially easy to understand as an ordinary family migration rather than a holiday. Edwy, Ada, four-year-old Constance and ten-month-old Barbara were moving toward a different future when Titanic struck the iceberg.
Edwy brought the family to the boat deck
Ada later recalled that the collision barely woke the family. Noise in the passage brought the first real alarm. A steward told them to dress warmly, and Edwy put lifebelts on the children before carrying them toward the boat deck.
After Ada and the girls entered a lifeboat, Edwy went back for a thermos of hot milk. He reached the already-lowered boat by a rope, handed the flask to Ada and said goodbye before returning to Titanic. It was the last time she saw him.
Ada and her daughters survived in Lifeboat 11
Specialist passenger records place Ada, Constance and Barbara in Lifeboat 11. Ada later remembered fear and confusion in the boat, including men who had entered among the women and passengers trying to drown out the terrible sounds coming from the water after Titanic disappeared.
Carpathia rescued the boat’s occupants and carried them to New York. Ada’s plan to settle in America ended with Edwy’s death. She and her daughters returned to England aboard Celtic rather than continuing to Florida.
She named her new daughter for the husband she lost
Ada gave birth on September 14, 1912, five months after the sinking. She named the child Edwyna Joan in memory of Edwy. Ada never remarried and eventually resettled in Truro, where she raised her daughters.
She kept the flask Edwy had handed down to her lifeboat for the rest of her life. Ada died on April 20, 1953, aged 74. That small object, preserved for more than four decades, gave the family’s final moments together a tangible place in her later life.
Sources used for this biography
Ada West’s family history, migration plans, Lifeboat 11 assignment, pregnancy and later life are documented in specialist passenger research based on census, ticket and family records.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Ada Mary West Birth, marriage, children, ticket, recollections of the sinking, Lifeboat 11, pregnancy and later life.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Constance Miriam West Additional family and voyage context for Ada’s elder daughter.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Barbara Joyce West Additional family and voyage context for Ada’s younger daughter.
Related pages to read next
Frequently asked questions
Was Ada Mary West pregnant on Titanic?
Yes. She was pregnant during the voyage and gave birth to daughter Edwyna Joan in September 1912.
Who was Ada West travelling with?
She travelled with her husband Edwy Arthur West and their daughters Constance Miriam and Barbara Joyce.
Which lifeboat did Ada West survive in?
Ada and her two daughters survived in Lifeboat 11.
Did Ada West’s husband survive?
No. Edwy Arthur West died in the sinking.
What happened to Ada West after Titanic?
She returned to England, raised her daughters, never remarried and died in 1953 at age 74.