Elizabeth Lavington was born in Wells, Somerset, England on January 31, 1872. She was the oldest of five surviving children. Sadly her older sisters had died only weeks after being conceieved. Her father was Richard Inward Lavington and her mother was Leah Reynolds. They baptized their newborn two months later on March 1872. She was usually referred to as 'Bessie'.
Bessie worked as barmaid in 1901 and after that, left her mother, father and six siblings behind in England when she began her career as a marine stewardess. She served on the Olympic before signing on the Titanic on April 6, 1912. She was 40 years old when the Titanic set sail. She had no friends or family traveling with her because she was employed on the ship. Even though she was very work-oriented and motivated solely by her job, she enjoyed her work as a marine stewardess. She was known for being very caring and noble. She tried her best to be a leader figure for everyone around her.
When the ship struck the iceberg on April 14, it became clear that she was sinking and that evacuation was needed.
On April 15, during the evacuation, Bessie’s only concern was helping passengers get to safety. Despite her selfless priorities, Bessie was able to escape on lifeboat 11.
After the trauma she experienced on the Titanic, Bessie ended her career as a marine stewardess and worked as a housekeeper until she retired. She never married nor had any children. She passed away on Thursday 1 September 1949, at the age of 77. Although she left no physical legacy, Bessie was eternally remembered by the people that knew her for her selfless actions and compassionate personality.