Miss Alice Phoebe Harknett was born in Sewarstone Green, Essex, England. Daughter to Edmund Harknett, a gun maker, and Jane Harknett. She was the youngest of four children.

Her parents both died young in the 1890s and in the 1911 census she was listed as a domestic kitchen servant in Hyde Park Gardens, West London. Alice had become good friends with Frances Mary Ford who then emmigrated to the US. Alice was convinced to travel with the Ford family to  join Mary in the States. 

She perished with the whole party and none of their bodies were recovered.