Mrs Amelia Lemore: A Resilient Titanic Survivor

Who was Amelia Lemore?

Mrs Amelia Lemore (née Hunt) was a 46-year-old English woman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Born on March 18, 1866, in Southwark, London, she led a life marked by transatlantic travels, personal challenges, and a remarkable resilience that saw her through one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters.

Early Life and Family

Amelia was born into a working-class family in Victorian London. Her parents, James Hunt, an engineer from Beaminster, Dorset, and Agnes Williamina Wilson of Strand, Middlesex, married on Christmas Day 1865. Amelia was the eldest of their eight children, though sadly two did not survive infancy.

The Hunt family’s early years were spent in various locations around Newington:

1871: Liverpool Street
1881-1891: 58 Mann Street
1901: 82 Grosvenor Terrace

During her youth, Amelia worked as a buttonhole machinist and later as a seamstress, demonstrating the practical skills that would serve her throughout her life.

Marriage and Move to America

On February 21, 1907, at the age of 40 (though she claimed to be 34), Amelia married James Henry Lemore at the Camberwell Register Office. James, an African-American chemist studying in London, represented a bold step into a new life for Amelia.

The newlyweds soon embarked on a transatlantic journey, settling in Waukesha, Wisconsin. By 1910, they had moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Amelia found work as an optometrist’s assistant.

The Fateful Titanic Journey

In late 1911, Amelia returned to England to visit her elderly parents. For her journey back to America, she booked passage on the RMS Titanic, boarding the ill-fated vessel at Southampton on April 10, 1912. Her ticket details were as follows:

Ticket number: CA346260
Cost: £10 10s
Class: Second Class
Cabin: F33

Amelia shared her cabin with three younger English women: Amelia Brown, Selina Cook, and Elizabeth Nye. Little did they know that their lives were about to be forever changed by one of the most tragic events in maritime history.

How Did Amelia Survive the Titanic Disaster?

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, when the Titanic struck an iceberg and began to sink, Amelia managed to secure a place in lifeboat 14. This lifeboat, under the command of Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, was one of the last to leave the ship and one of the few to return to search for survivors after the sinking.

Amelia’s survival was a testament to her resilience and fortune. After her rescue, she made insurance claims totaling over $6,000, indicating the trauma and material loss she suffered from the disaster.

Life After the Titanic

Following her return to Chicago, Amelia’s life took several unexpected turns:

1916: Her husband James began studying at Chicago Medical School
1918: James moved to Memphis, graduating from the University of West Tennessee College of Medicine and Surgery
1920: Census records show Amelia still in Chicago, while James was living as a single man in Tennessee
1923: James was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Nashville, though the verdict was later overturned

The exact nature of Amelia and James’s relationship during these years remains unclear. By 1930, Amelia was listed as widowed in Chicago, though James had actually died in 1928 of pneumonia after possibly remarrying.

Return to England and Later Years

In December 1921, Amelia applied for a US passport to visit her widowed father in England. Her physical description at the time paints a vivid picture:

Height: 5'5"
Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Brown
Complexion: Medium
Distinguishing features: Long nose, oval face, high forehead, small chin

Amelia continued her work as a lens inspector and made several trips between England and the United States throughout the 1920s and early 1930s. Eventually, she resettled permanently in London.

What Was Amelia Lemore’s Legacy?

Amelia Lemore’s life exemplifies the resilience and adaptability of many who lived through the Edwardian era and beyond. Her experiences encompass:

Survival of one of history’s most famous disasters
Navigation of an interracial marriage in the early 20th century
Adaptation to life in both the United States and England
A long career as a skilled worker in the optical industry

Amelia passed away on May 15, 1950, at the age of 84, in Wandsworth, London. She is buried in Streatham Park Cemetery, leaving behind a modest estate of £327 2s 9d to her niece, Florence Lilian Moore.

Her story serves as a reminder of the extraordinary lives led by ordinary individuals who found themselves at the center of historic events. Amelia Lemore’s journey from a London seamstress to a Titanic survivor and eventually a transatlantic traveler embodies the tumultuous and transformative nature of the early 20th century.