Who was Mrs Annie Margaret Hold?

Mrs Annie Margaret Hold was a 29-year-old (twenty-nine-year-old) English woman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Born on March 7, 1883, in Pollstraw, Cornwall, she was a second-class passenger on the ill-fated ship and later became known for her vivid account of the disaster.

Early Life and Family

Annie Margaret Hold, née Hill, was born into humble beginnings in Cornwall, England. Her early life was marked by the following:

She was the illegitimate daughter of Augusta Lavinia Hill, a domestic cook.
Raised by her grandparents, James and Margaret Hill, in Porthoustock Cove, St Keverne.
Her grandfather was a farmer, fisherman, and the coxswain of the Porthoustock Lifeboat.
Annie attended St Keverne School and was active in her local parish church and choir.

Marriage and Life in America

Annie’s life took a significant turn when she married Stephen Hold on October 18, 1909. Their union and subsequent journey to America were characterized by:

Stephen Hold was a childhood acquaintance who had been living in California.
The couple sailed for America aboard the Teutonic on November 17, 1909.
They settled in Sacramento, California, where Stephen worked as a garage chauffeur.

The Titanic Journey

In late 1911, the Holds returned to England due to health concerns. Their fateful decision to return to America led them to book passage on the Titanic:

They embarked on the Titanic at Southampton on April 10, 1912.
Their second-class ticket (number 26707) cost £26.
Annie was 29 years old at the time of the voyage.

The Sinking and Rescue

Annie’s experience during the sinking of the Titanic was harrowing:

“It felt as if something had tried to prevent the passage of the steam ship and not succeeding and was holding it back as much as it could.”

She described the chaos on board:

People running frantically, many scantily clad.
Being grabbed and placed in a lifeboat.
Witnessing the Titanic gradually sinking into the water.
Seeing men and women along the rails, many jumping overboard.

Annie was rescued, though the specific lifeboat she was in is unknown. She was reportedly clad only in her nightclothes with wraps covering her.

Life After the Titanic

Following the disaster, Annie’s life took several turns:

She briefly returned to Sacramento before coming back to England.
Annie received $4000 from her late husband’s will.
She found work as a bookkeeper in England.
On July 27, 1915, she remarried to Joseph Northey Bailey, a mariner from Redruth.
The couple had a son, James Hill, born around 1920.
They lived in Hayle, Cornwall, before moving to Rowland’s Castle, Hampshire, in the 1950s.

Later Years and Legacy

Annie’s later life was marked by both the lingering effects of her Titanic experience and a quiet life in England:

She suffered from severe rheumatism, possibly due to her exposure during the Titanic disaster.
Annie died at her home on March 1, 1960, just shy of her 77th birthday.
Her estate, worth £22,894, 6s, 11d, was left to her widower.
She was buried in St Keverne Churchyard on March 5, 1960, close to Titanic victim John Richard Jago Smith.

Annie Margaret Hold’s survival story and her subsequent life serve as a poignant reminder of the human impact of the Titanic disaster. Her vivid account of the sinking continues to provide valuable insights into one of the most infamous maritime tragedies in history.