Mrs. Frank Wardle (Cissie Dooley)

Cissie Wardle Third Class Passenger Lost
Born	Cissie Dooley 1st quarter 1892 Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom
Died	7 May 1915 At sea, RMS Lusitania
Age on Lusitania	23
Body number	Not recovered or identified
Citizenship	British
Residence	Adamsdale, North Attleborough, Massachusetts, United States
Other name(s)	Sissie Dooley
Spouse(s)	Frank Wardle (1914 – 1915, her death)

Cissie Wardle (née Dooley), 23, of Adamsdale, North Attleborough, Massachusetts, United States was a third class passenger aboard Lusitania. She was returning to her native Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, to see off her two brothers, Fred and Ernest Dooley, before they departed to fight in the First World War with the 7th Cheshire Regiment. Cissie booked her ticket under the name “Mrs. Frank Wardle” and was lost when the German submarine U-20 torpedoed and sank Lusitania on 7 May 1915. Cissie was lost in the disaster and her body was either not identified or not recovered.

Early life

Cissie (or Sissie) Dooley was born in the first quarter of 1892, the daughter of Annie Maria and Charles Dooley, a gardener. In 1901, the family lived at 2 Fowler Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, and included George Frederick (11), James Charles (10), Sissie (8), Ernest (5), John Thomas (4) and Sidney (1).

On 24 September 1907, at the age of 15 years 6 months, Sissie enrolled with Macclesfield Technical School. Her occupation was that of tenter and she lived at 14 Fowler Street.

At the age of 18 Cissie was employed as a cotton hand at Lower Heys Mill while she was still living at 14 Fowler St, Macclesfield, with her parents, brothers and a sister, Florrie (7).

Cissie emigrated to the United States on 23 June 1914 to join her brother, James Dooley, in South Attleborough, Massachusetts, sailing in 3rd class accommodation on the Cunarder Franconia from Liverpool. She arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on 1 July. On arrival, she named her brother James as her next of kin.

On 27th September 1914, when she was 22, Cissie married Frank Wardle, a 23-year-old tannery operative formerly from Prestbury, Cheshire, in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. Frank had arrived in Boston the year before Cissie on 5 August 1913, having sailed from Liverpool on the Cunarder Laconia. He had named his father, William Wardle of 6 Tolls St, Prestbury, as his next-of-kin.

Loss on the Lusitania

Cissie sailed from New York on the ill-fated Lusitania on a third class ticket under the name “Mrs Frank Wardle.” She was returning to Macclesfield to see her two brothers, Fred and Ernest Dooley, before they departed to serve in the British Army with the 7th Cheshire Regiment. Cissie died when the ship was sunk by the German submarine U-20 on Friday 7 May 1915, approximately 11 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland. Cissie’s body was either not recovered or not identified.

When the list of the missing was first released, the name ‘Frank Wardle’ was printed (without the prefix ‘Mrs’), and her parents hoped this meant that Cissie had not been on the Lusitania. However, a cablegram sent to their son Joseph Dooley in America on Tuesday morning, enquiring whether Cissie had cancelled her booking elicited a reply on Wednesday evening confirming that she had indeed sailed on the ill-fated ship.

Cissie’s family placed the following ‘In Memoriam’ notice in the Macclesfield Times and East Cheshire Observer newspaper of 13th May 1921:

“WARDLE – In loving memory of our dear daughter (Cissie), who was drowned on the Lusitania, May 7th, 1915. – “Cherished memories bring silent tears” – Fondly remembered by Father, Mother, Sister and Brothers. – 14, Fowler Street.”

Two of Cissie’s brothers served with the 7th Cheshire Regiment: Ernest Dooley (service number 2652) and George Frederick Dooley (service numbers 2299 and 290499). It is believed they both survived the war. Her brother John Thomas Dooley served as Private 29243 with the South Wales Borderers, and also survived.

Cissie’s brother-in-law Thomas Wardle served with the 8th Cheshire Regiment (service number 14500) and died in Egypt in October 1915.

Contributors
Rosie Rowley, Macclesfield historian