Henriette Yrois - Titanic Second Class Passenger
Henriette Yrois was a second class passenger travelling aboard the maiden voyage of Titanic. It is believed she was traveling aboard Titanic with William Harbeck, a successful filmmaker. It is suggested that she was William Harbeck’s mistress; indeed it appears she was the person that second class passenger Lawrence Beasley mistook in his book about Titanic as being William Harbeck’s wife, presuming, as it is seems widely believed, he was referring to William Harbeck. Her home was in Paris, France. They boarded Titanic at Southampton on 10th April 1912.
Henriette Yrois was (it appears) born on 22nd April 1889 in Paris, France.
The young woman described in Lawrence Beasley’s book is described as having been with her husband watching as the SS New York broke her moorings and nearly crashed into Titanic – as Titanic passed her at the very start of her voyage to New York. In the book he also recalls that she was very fond of playing patience (solitaire) .
Henriette Yrois did not survive the sinking of Titanic on 15th April 1912. William Harbeck was also lost. Her body is not known to have been recovered.
When William Harbeck’s body was recovered, a lady’s bag with a purse inside was found with him. A letter sent by someone called Brownie Harbeck to the White Star Line about the items that were found with William Harbeck, dated 21st August 1912, said, referring to the lady’s items listed, that she knew Henriette Yrois well. The identity of Brownie Harbeck seems to be a mystery.
Related pages - Titanic's Second Class Passengers, All Titanic Pages