Fletcher Fellowes Lambert Williams

Who was Fletcher Fellowes Lambert Williams?

Fletcher Fellowes Lambert Williams was a prominent American businessman and Titanic victim, born on July 25, 1868, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the managing director of the Mono-Service Company of England, a manufacturer of paper cups used in hotels and other businesses. Williams tragically perished in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912, at the age of 43 (forty-three).

Early Life and Family

Fletcher Williams was born into a wealthy Boston family, the son of George Foster Williams, a banker and real estate investor, and Susan Lucy Fellowes. Originally named Arthur Fletcher Williams, he legally changed his name to Fletcher Lambert Williams on October 18, 1886, for reasons unknown.

Growing up, Fletcher lived with his parents and siblings in a luxurious home on Walnut Avenue in Boston. The 1870 census reveals that the Williams household was quite large, including:

Fletcher’s parents
Siblings: Lucy, Gertrude, Maud, Ida, Robert, and Percy
Aunt Charlotte F. Fellowes
Three members of the related Davis family
Six servants (four female domestics, a coachman, and a laborer)

The family’s affluence is evident from George Williams’ reported assets: $100,000 in real estate and $3,000 in personal property, significant sums for the time.

Education and Early Career

As a child, Fletcher attended school in Boston. By 1889 and 1890, he was working as a clerk while still living at his mother’s house at 314 Beacon Street in Boston. This period marked the beginning of his business career, which would eventually lead him to become a successful international businessman.

Marriage and International Life

On October 27, 1892, Fletcher married Mary Elizabeth (Leeds) Goddard in Boston. Mary, born on January 21, 1852, was a widow with two children from her previous marriage to Edward S. E. Goddard. The couple’s union marked the beginning of an international lifestyle that would define their lives together.

Travels and Residences

The Williams’ life was characterized by frequent travel between the United States and Europe. Some of their notable residences and journeys included:

Living in London, with occasional visits to the United States
Staying at 6 West Bickenstall Mansions, St. Marylebone, London in 1901
An extended two-year trip beginning on August 25, 1906, staying at 6 Bickenhall Mansions, Marylebone, London
Fletcher’s residence in St. Marylebone, London, in 1911

Business Ventures

Fletcher Williams established himself as a successful businessman, most notably as the managing director of the Mono-Service Company of England. This company specialized in manufacturing paper cups for hotels and other businesses, using a design invented by Elmer Taylor.

The Titanic Journey

Fletcher boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton, traveling First Class in Cabin C-128. His ticket, number 113510, cost 35 pounds. The purpose of his journey was to visit his elderly mother in the United States.

Final Moments on the Titanic

Eyewitness accounts provide a poignant glimpse into Williams’ last hours:

After the collision with the iceberg, he was reportedly “laying in bed reading, smoking a cigar, and nursing a highball.”
Elmer Taylor, a fellow passenger, visited Williams’ cabin with a piece of the iceberg, jokingly saying, “I’ve brought you some ice for your drink.”
Later, Williams was seen speaking to the Countess of Rothes, optimistically stating, “that the water-tight compartments must surely hold!”

Tragically, Fletcher Williams did not survive the sinking, and his body was never recovered or identified.

Legacy and Remembrance

A memorial service for Fletcher Lambert Williams was held at his mother’s home at 314 Beacon Street in Boston. The Rev. Paul Revere Frothingham of the Arlington Street Church officiated, and a quartet sang “Nearer My God to Thee” and “Crossing the Bar.” A tombstone in his memory was erected at the Jamaica Plain Cemetery in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Mary Elizabeth Williams’ Life After the Titanic

Mary Elizabeth, Fletcher’s widow, continued to lead an international life after the Titanic disaster:

She returned to London in February 1913
Registered as a widowed woman with the U.S. Embassy in England in October 1914
Applied for multiple passports between 1915 and 1922 for extensive European travel
In 1922, at age 70 (seventy), she described herself as 5 ft 3½ inches tall with white hair and a ruddy complexion

Fletcher Fellowes Lambert Williams’ life, cut short by the Titanic tragedy, was one of international business, frequent travel, and social prominence. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the many lives impacted by that fateful night in April 1912.