# My Grand Mother



## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

Today whilst chatting to my dad ( who is 92) about my daughter and her excellent reports from her first term at the Nautical College in Fleetwood he turned to her and said that she was taking after her great grand mother.

I was taken aback as he had never mentioned her before, but referred to her as Granny Kendrick?

Next question was..........What did she do?

She was Chief Purser on the Duchess of Atholl, and then went on to serve on some "Empress of" ships, he said but couldn't remember which Empress ships.

Any more I asked.

Oh yes, she was torpedoed once and shipwrecked on another occasion?

I couldn't believe what I was hearing as this has been a mystery to me for a lifetime, but by those two comments I believe that she must have been on the Duchess of Atholl when torpedoed during WW1 and possibly on the Empress ship which I believe was lost in the St Lawrence during the 1930's?

Has anyone any idea where I could go too, to find any information on my grand mother and her service history, as I would love to know.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Neil.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi Neil,
No surviving personal records for WW1 but possibly something in the Fourth Register of Seamen if not you would need to look at crew agreements to find out what ships she served in. Would you care to give a name, date and place of birth?

Regards
Hugh


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## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

Hugh, many thanks for the quick response.

All I know at the moment is that she was called Kendrick and that she died in 1946/47 when my dad was around 22/23 years of age.

But next time I chat with my dad I will press him for more info. I do know however that she served for a good number of years with Elder Dempster.

The family lived in Wallasey during their early years, so possibly she was born there. My brother has done a family tree so I will be chatting to him with regards to any dates, but I think he did his on the matriarchal side of the family.

Cheers.

Neil.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Neil,

Just had a look and if Margaret Kendrick, Head Stewardess, b. 23.1.1877, Liscard, is your GM then I can give you three cards with some details of ships. She was on DUTCHESS OF ATHOLL in 1934.
The earliest her record goes is 1923 so you would need to back track through crew agreements from 1923 to find previous service incl WW1. I can help you with that too but I suppose we need to wait and see if that lady is your grandmother first.
Regards
Hugh


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## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

Hugh........thanks very much for that info...........I will ask my dad tomorrow......he didn't tell me her first name, and yesterday was the first I had ever heard of her.......but will ask, and thanks for researching for me. neil.


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