Emma Schabert

Who was Emma Schabert?

Emma Schabert was an American first-class passenger and survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster. Born Emma Mock on May 23, 1876, in Manhattan, New York, she led a fascinating life marked by wealth, tragedy, and multiple marriages. Her Titanic experience was just one chapter in a life filled with dramatic twists and turns.

Early Life and Family

Emma was born into a German-American family with strong ties to New York’s hospitality industry. Her parents were:

Father: Richard Mock (born June 22, 1845, in Baden; died January 6, 1905)
Mother: Eva Maria “Emma” Lampert (born May 20, 1841, in Hesse; died June 26, 1913)

Richard Mock, a former student from Heidelberg, left Germany abruptly in his early 20s and settled in the United States. Despite his good education, he initially struggled to find work and began his career as a bartender in New York. He later ventured into the restaurant business, opening his first establishment at 8th Avenue and 46th Street.

Emma had several siblings:

Richard (born June 14, 1872)
Richard (born March 25, 1878)
Philipp Edmund (born 1881)
Half-brother: Henry Cook (born circa 1864)

Education and Early Adulthood

As a young woman, Emma was sent to Hamburg, Germany, for her education. It was during this time, at the age of 16, that she caught the eye of Captain Paul Schabert, a wealthy exporter and army officer of Hamburg nobility. Despite Schabert’s attentions, Emma returned to New York after completing her schooling, seemingly forgetting her early admirer.

A Sensational First Marriage

The Unexpected Union

In a turn of events that caused a sensation in New York society, Emma, then in her early twenties, married a man nearly forty years her senior. On February 1, 1900, she wed Rufus Warren Blake, a 66-year-old millionaire widower and piano manufacturer from Derby, Connecticut.

The Morning Telegram reported on the wedding:

“The ceremony was strictly private, and the most charming simplicity was observed, but a half dozen friends of the bridegroom being present when the two were united. None of the bride’s friends or relatives was present. She was beautifully and tastefully dressed in a gown of pearl gray, while a few American beauty roses adorned her corsage.”

Tragedy Strikes

The couple made their home in Derby and had one daughter, Harriet, born in 1901. Tragically, Harriet died as a young infant. Emma’s time with Rufus was short-lived and marked by a shocking incident. In October 1901, while examining a newly-purchased revolver, Blake accidentally shot himself. He lingered until his death on October 26, 1901.

Sudden Wealth and Second Marriage

At the age of 25, Emma became a very wealthy widow, with her fortune estimated at as much as $3,000,000. Shortly after her loss, she traveled to Europe to help deal with her grief. It was during this trip that she reconnected with Paul Schabert, her admirer from her school days in Hamburg.

Their romance was rekindled, and they married on January 26, 1903, in the Hotel Manhattan. The couple honeymooned in Japan and China, where Schabert had significant business interests, particularly in camphor exports.

Life Before the Titanic

Emma and Paul Schabert split their time between Germany, New York, and Connecticut. They had two children:

Beatrice (born December 19, 1905)
Kyrill Sidney (born February 6, 1909)

Both children were born in Germany. The 1910 US census listed the family as residents of Elizabeth Street in Derby, Connecticut.

The Titanic Journey

By 1912, Emma’s marriage to Paul Schabert was in trouble. According to the Los Angeles Daily Times (April 26, 1912), Schabert had left Emma in Germany and traveled to Reno, Nevada, intending to file for divorce.

Emma boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg, possibly to join her husband and discuss the terms of their divorce. She was traveling with her younger brother Philipp on ticket number 13236, which cost £57 15s (equivalent to about $6,500 in 2023).

The Fateful Night

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, Emma and Philipp experienced the terrifying sinking of the Titanic. In a widely syndicated interview, Emma recounted:

“It was a terrible experience. I was awakened by the shock of the collision and went out on deck. There was very little excitement and persons were coming from their rooms and asking what had happened. Suddenly from the bridge came the cry ‘Ladies first.’ This was the first inkling we had that the ship was in danger.”

Emma and Philipp stayed together during the evacuation, refusing several invitations to board earlier lifeboats. They eventually made their way to lifeboat 11, one of the most heavily laden boats to be launched. Philipp helped Emma and other ladies into the craft before stepping in himself as it was being lowered.

Life After the Titanic

Reconciliation and Divorce

Upon learning of the Titanic disaster, Paul Schabert rushed to New York to greet the Carpathia. The couple reportedly had a touching reconciliation, with Schabert shelving his divorce plans. However, this reconciliation proved brief, and they divorced within a year.

Subsequent Marriages

Emma’s life after the Titanic was marked by further marriages:

In June 1913, she married Walter Wilhelm von Plötz (1858-1927)
In April 1928, she married Karl Wilhelm Edmund Kurt von Faber du Faur (1890-1966), an academic, bibliophile, writer, and antiquarian from Stuttgart

Later Years and Legacy

Emma and her third husband, Curt von Faber du Faur, lived in Italy for many years. With the outbreak of World War II, they moved to the United States, where Curt had a distinguished academic career at Harvard and Yale.

In her later years, Emma reportedly never discussed her experiences on the Titanic. She died in New Haven following a stroke on April 18, 1961, at the age of 84 (eighty-four). She was buried in St James’ Episcopal Church grave