Rare portrait of Sussex Titanic survivor discovered

By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Jan 2016, 11:43 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 07:20 BST
The portrait, by an unknown artist, shows Elsie Bowerman in service uniformThe portrait, by an unknown artist, shows Elsie Bowerman in service uniform
The portrait, by an unknown artist, shows Elsie Bowerman in service uniform
A rare portrait of a Titanic survivor from Sussex has been found by an auctioneer whose ancestor was in the same lifeboat as her.

The former suffragette Elsie Bowerman was in lifeboat 6 with auctioneer Timothy Medhurst’s great-great-grandfather Robert Hitchens and about 22 others.

The miniature portrait of the first woman barrister at the Old Bailey – who has a Blue Plaque above her former Silchester Road, St Leonards, home – is expected to be sold for around £1,000.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It will be up for auction at Duke’s Auctioneers in Dorchester, Dorset, in March.

Timothy Medhurst's great-great-grandfather shared a lifeboat with Elsie BowermanTimothy Medhurst's great-great-grandfather shared a lifeboat with Elsie Bowerman
Timothy Medhurst's great-great-grandfather shared a lifeboat with Elsie Bowerman

“This small portrait is an amazing snippet of history in which you can see a Woman of survival, dedicated to equal rights,” Mr Medhurst said.

“It is a wonderful thing to be able to look at the same lady who would have looked at my Great Grandfather over 100 years ago on board a lifeboat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.”

Ms Bowerman had a Blue Plaque posthumously awarded to her St Leonards home in November, 2005.