Elizabeth McKechan, 32, was a mother traveling with two of her sons, James and Campbell, on the last voyage of the Lusitania. She was a British subject who was naturalized as an American citizen living in Gillespie, Illinois, United States. Elizabeth survived the Lusitania sinking on 7 May 1915 but lost her son James. Her son Campbell survived the sinking but died the following September in the United States of injury from the sinking and a lingering illness, presumably from exposure.
Elizabeth Ballantyne married Robert McKechan, secretary of a cooperative society conducting a general mercantile establishment at Gillespie, Illinois. In 1915, Elizabeth was 32 years of age, Robert 33 years of age, and they had two daughters, Martha and Anna, aged 13 and 10 years respectively, and two sons, James and Campbell, aged 6 years and ten months, respectively. Robert’s naturalization as an American citizen, sometime before the Lusitania sinking, granted American citizenship to the entire family.
Elizabeth survived the sinking, but James was lost. Campbell survived, but received personal injuries from the effect of which he died September 15, 1915, following a lingering illness and after having been brought back to America by his Elizabeth. Elizabeth also lost personal property, the latter of the value of $1,200.00.
Another daughter, Elizabeth, was born to Robert and Elizabeth on 9 June 1916.
In her case against Germany in the Mixed Claims Commission, Elizabeth cited mental anguish resulting from the sinking and a knee injury from which she had never recovered. Prior to the Lusitania sinking, Elizabeth was described as “strong and well, performing without effort all of her own housework.”
The Mixed Claims Commission awarded her husband Robert $5,000.00 and Elizabeth $12,000.00 in personal injury and mental anguish, and the further sum of $1,200.00 for property lost in the sinking.
Related pages
The McKechans at the Mixed Claims Commission
References:
Docket Nos. 430, 431, & 432. Mixed Claims Commission, pg 416.
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