Emily Louisa Badman

Who was Emily Louisa Badman?

Emily Louisa Badman was an 18-year-old English domestic servant who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Born in Clevedon, Somerset on January 19, 1894, she embarked on the ill-fated ship as a third-class passenger, hoping to start a new life in America. Her survival story and subsequent life in the United States offer a compelling glimpse into the experiences of Titanic survivors and early 20th-century immigrants.

Early Life and Family

Emily was born into a large working-class family in Somerset, England. Her parents were:

• Father: Solomon Badman (1853-1918), a laborer
• Mother: Emily Cox (1861-1929)

She was one of eleven children, with seven surviving siblings:

• Mary Jane (1879-1962)
• Henry John (1883-1949)
• Caroline (1886-1973)
• Solomon Charles (b. 1888)
• Arthur (1891-1955)
• Ada Irene (1899-1934)
• Ellen Maud (1903-1978)

Life Before the Titanic

By 1911, at the age of 17, Emily was working as a domestic housemaid for a wealthy retired provision merchant named George Whitfield Mott-Distin in Clevedon. This early employment as a servant likely prepared her for the challenges she would face as an immigrant in America.

The Fateful Journey

Why was Emily on the Titanic?

Emily’s decision to sail on the Titanic was motivated by her desire for a better life in America. Her sister Mary Jane had emigrated in 1910 and settled in Skaneateles, New York. Mary Jane saved money to send Emily the fare for her journey.

Boarding the Titanic

Emily boarded the Titanic at Southampton on April 10, 1912. Her ticket details were:

• Ticket number: A/4 31416
• Cost: £8 1s (equivalent to about £1,000 or $1,300 in 2023)
• Class: Third-class passenger
• Cabin: Shared with three other women in the bow section

The Night of the Sinking

Emily’s account of the Titanic’s sinking provides valuable insights into the chaos and confusion of that fateful night:

1. She went to bed around 10:30 PM on April 14.
2. Awoken by a sound “as if the boat were scraping land.”
3. Found passageways filled with passengers, many wearing lifebelts.
4. Encountered Edward Lockyer, who helped her into a lifebelt.
5. Witnessed two men being shot on deck.
6. Was among the last to board a lifeboat before it was lowered.

Lifeboat Confusion

There is some uncertainty about which lifeboat Emily escaped in:

• In a 1912 interview, she claimed to have been in the second-to-last lifeboat.
• Some historians place her in Collapsible C.
• A 1932 interview suggests she may have been in Lifeboat 13.

Arrival in America and New Life

After being rescued by the Carpathia, Emily:

1. Spent time recuperating in St. Vincent’s hospital in New York.
2. Acted as bridesmaid for fellow survivor Sarah Roth on April 23, 1912.
3. Traveled to Skaneateles to live with her sister.
4. Met and married Michael Edward O’Grady in August 1913.

Family Life

Emily and Michael had four children:

1. Thomas Edward (1914-1994)
2. Michael Arthur (1917-1989)
3. Margaret Tatiana “Titania” (1922-1999)
4. John Henry (1926-1992)

The family lived in Skaneateles initially but moved to Ridgefield, New Jersey around 1925.

Later Years and Legacy

In her later years, Emily:

• Was active in her local Roman Catholic church, St. Matthews.
• Became friends with another Titanic survivor, Margaret Devaney O’Neill.
• Often met with other survivors on the anniversary of the sinking.

Emily Louisa Badman died on July 17, 1946, at her home in Ridgefield, New Jersey, at the age of 52 (fifty-two). She was buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Tenafly, New Jersey.

Her story serves as a testament to the resilience of Titanic survivors and the immigrant experience in early 20th-century America. The spectacles returned to her by Edward Lockyer’s mother, which she kept as a memento, symbolize the lasting impact of the Titanic tragedy on those who lived through it.