Mary Davies Wilburn
| Mary Davies Wilburn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Mary Davies May 17 1883 London, U.K |
| Died |
July 29 1987 (aged 104 years 73 days) New York, U.S |
| Known for | Longest lived survivor of Titanic |
| Spouse(s) |
John A. Wilburn (1915－1972, his death) |
| Children | 1 |
Mary Wilburn (née Davies) (May 17, 1883 – July 29, 1987) was the longest-lived survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.
Aboard Titanic
Born in Southwark, England on May 17, 1883, Davies, aged 28, boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton, England as a second-class passenger and was travelling to visit her sister, Elsie F. Langford, on Staten Island, New York.
She 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 ship was sinking. She hurriedly dressed and then helped Lucy Ridsdale, her cabin companion, who was in the lower berth to do so; she was afflicted by a club foot. They then made their way to the boat deck.
Two men assisted her into Lifeboat 13 and it was lowered. She remembered that the weather was clear, the water was calm, a moonless night, and the beautiful bright stars seemed to light up the ocean around the sinking ship. She stated that there was very little suction as the ship sank.
She said that it was early in the morning when the RMS 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
Davies returned to England a few months following the disaster when the White Star Line, the company which owned the Titanic, offered her a free fare.[1] 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 in 1994. When she died she was survived by her son, two grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.
Death
Davies died on July 29, 1987 in Syracuse, New York at age 104 years 73 days . She was the longest-lived Titanic survivor, and one of only about 30 that were alive when the Titanic's wreck was discovered in 1985.
References
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| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Frederick Dent Ray |
Oldest living survivor of the RMS Titanic January 15, 1977 – July 29, 1987 |
Succeeded by Marjorie Newell Robb |
| Longest lived survivor of the RMS Titanic | Incumbent | |