Mary Davies Wilburn
Encyclopedia
Mary Wilburn (May 17, 1883 – July 29, 1987) was the longest-lived survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.
, New York
.
Mary Davis was asleep in her cabin when the collision occurred. She was awakened and told that there was no danger; so she returned to bed, only to be called again in a few minutes and told to get up on the highest deck, that the boat was sinking. She hurriedly dressed and then helped Lucy Ridsdale, her cabin companion, who was in the lower berth to get dressed; she was afflicted by a club foot. The two women then made their way to the boatdeck.
Two men assisted her into lifeboat 13 and it was lowered. She remembered that the weather was clear, water calm, and a beautiful full moon lit the entire ocean for miles around. She stated that there was very little suction as the boat sank.
Mary said that it was early in the morning when the Carpathia hove in sight and pulled them aboard. She was numbed from the waist down and practically unconscious from exhaustion and cold.
a few months following the disaster when the White Star Line
, the company which owned the Titanic, offered her a free fare. She returned to the United States
in 1913 where she worked as a cook. In 1915 she married John A. Wilburn, by whom she had a son, Carl. John died in 1972 and Carl died in 1994.
at age 104. She was the longest-lived RMS Titanic survivor, and one of only about 30 that were alive when the Titanic's wreckage was discovered in 1985.
Aboard Titanic
Born in Southwark, London, England on May 17, 1883, Mary Davis Wilburn boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton, England as a second-class passenger and was travelling to visit her sister, Elsie F. Langford, on Staten IslandStaten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Mary Davis was asleep in her cabin when the collision occurred. She was awakened and told that there was no danger; so she returned to bed, only to be called again in a few minutes and told to get up on the highest deck, that the boat was sinking. She hurriedly dressed and then helped Lucy Ridsdale, her cabin companion, who was in the lower berth to get dressed; she was afflicted by a club foot. The two women then made their way to the boatdeck.
Two men assisted her into lifeboat 13 and it was lowered. She remembered that the weather was clear, water calm, and a beautiful full moon lit the entire ocean for miles around. She stated that there was very little suction as the boat sank.
Mary said that it was early in the morning when the Carpathia hove in sight and pulled them aboard. She was numbed from the waist down and practically unconscious from exhaustion and cold.
Life after Titanic
Mary returned to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
a few months following the disaster when the White Star Line
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
, the company which owned the Titanic, offered her a free fare. She returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1913 where she worked as a cook. In 1915 she married John A. Wilburn, by whom she had a son, Carl. John died in 1972 and Carl died in 1994.
Death
Mary died on July 29, 1987 in Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
at age 104. She was the longest-lived RMS Titanic survivor, and one of only about 30 that were alive when the Titanic's wreckage was discovered in 1985.