Edwin Clay McLellan was one of the many undertakers who were brought to Halifax for the purpose of preparing the hundreds of bodies recovered by the Mackay-Bennett and Minia for burial. To prevent further damage to skin, the lifebelts removed from bodies were generally cut at the four ties and shoulder straps. Edwin kept one as a memento of this “Night to Remember.” The lifebelt was later passed to his grandson who donated it to the Mariners’ Museum in Virginia in 1988. 

The Museum had cataloged the following measurements:

[Part A] 26-1/2" (length) x 13-3/4" (width) x 2-1/4" (depth),
[Part B] 25" (length) x 13-1/2" (width) x 2-1/4" (depth).
[Total dimensions] 51-1/2" (length) x 13-3/4" (width) x 2-1/4" (depth).