Clear Annie Cameron

Who was Miss Clear Annie Cameron?

Miss Clear Annie Cameron was a 35-year-old English personal maid who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. She was a second-class passenger who embarked on the ill-fated ship’s maiden voyage with dreams of starting a new life in America, only to find herself caught in one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history.

Early Life and Family

Born on March 8, 1877, in Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire, England, Clear Annie Cameron came from a working-class background. Her parents were:

Father: Harry Arthur Cameron (1846-1899), a tailor from Leek, Staffordshire
Mother: Annie Chiles (b. 1845) from Kemberton, Shropshire

Clear was one of four siblings:

Earnest (1870-1945)
Janet Gertrude (1873-1914)
Nie (1883-1972, later Mrs. Joseph Stewart Graham)

Early Career and Life in England

Clear’s early life was marked by service in various households, a common occupation for young women of her social class in late Victorian and Edwardian England. Her career trajectory can be traced through census records:

1881: Living with her family at 73 London Road, Buxton, Derbyshire
1891: Working as a house servant at 117 London Road, Buxton
1911: Employed as a housemaid at 46 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington, London, in the household of Colonel Henry Hugh Oldham, C.V.O.

Despite her modest beginnings, Clear managed to achieve a degree of financial comfort, even owning a motorcar at one point – a significant luxury for someone in domestic service at the time.

The Fateful Titanic Journey

Why did Clear decide to leave England?

By 1912, Clear felt that life in England no longer offered her the opportunities she sought. Along with her friend Nellie Walcroft, she made the bold decision to emigrate to the United States, where they believed greater prospects awaited them.

How did Clear end up on the Titanic?

Interestingly, Clear and Nellie were not originally booked on the Titanic. A coal strike forced them to change their passage, leading them to board the now-infamous ship at Southampton on April 10, 1912. They traveled as second-class passengers, sharing ticket number 13528, which cost £21.

What was Clear’s experience during the sinking?

On the night of April 14, Clear and Nellie were awakened by the ship’s collision with the iceberg. Initially dismissive of the danger, Clear was eventually persuaded to dress and make her way to the boat deck. There, they were directed to Lifeboat 14 by officers shouting orders.

Clear later recounted a chilling scene as the lifeboat was lowered:

Fifth Officer Harold Lowe brandished his pistol to deter “immigrant men” from jumping into their boat from the passing decks.

From the safety of Lifeboat 14, Clear witnessed the Titanic breaking in two when they were about two miles away. She actively participated in rowing the lifeboat during the long, cold night.

Life After the Titanic

How did Clear adapt to life in America?

Upon arrival in New York, Clear found employment as a maid for Mrs. Nelson Henry, the wife of General Nelson H. Henry and leader of the Women’s Relief Committee. However, Clear struggled to acclimate to life in New York City, finding it expensive and unappealing. She famously described it as “one of the dirtiest, rottenest holes on earth.”

Did Clear stay in America?

Despite her initial plans to start a new life in America, Clear’s experience was short-lived. On April 29, 1914, she married Ernest William Francis, an English butler several years her junior, in Philadelphia. By December 1914, the couple had decided to return to England, sailing aboard the Baltic and arriving in Liverpool on New Year’s Day, 1915.

Later Life and Legacy

Clear and Ernest settled in Surrey, living in Worcester Park for many years. They did not have children. In her later years, Clear suffered from senility and spent her final days in a nursing home in Woking, Surrey.

Clear Annie Cameron passed away on February 2, 1962, at the age of 84 (eighty-four). Her ashes were scattered across the Keats Garden in the Woking St. John Crematorium, Surrey. Her husband Ernest followed less than a year later, dying on September 17, 1962, at the age of 71 (seventy-one).

Clear’s story might have been lost to history if not for the discovery of nineteen letters she and Nellie Walcroft had written, found in an attic by her nephew Ted Dowding in the 1990s. These letters provide a personal account of her Titanic experience and subsequent life in America, offering valuable insights into this remarkable survivor’s life.

Miss Clear Annie Cameron’s journey from domestic service in England to Titanic survivor and back again is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of those who lived through one of history’s most famous disasters. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the individual lives affected by the Titanic’s tragic voyage.