Florence Briggs Cumings

Who was Mrs Florence Briggs Cumings?

Mrs Florence Briggs Cumings was a first-class passenger and survivor of the RMS Titanic disaster. Born on December 31, 1876, in Boston, Massachusetts, she was an American socialite who experienced both tragedy and resilience throughout her life, including surviving the sinking of the Titanic and enduring the loss of her husband and two sons.

Early Life and Family

Florence was born Florence Briggs Thayer, the youngest daughter of George A. Thayer and Ella Stetson Briggs. Her father worked as a store housekeeper, and both of her parents were native Bostonians. Florence had one older sister, Elaina, born on March 3, 1872.

The family’s early years were spent in Boston, where they lived in a house owned by Florence’s maternal grandparents, Harrison and Elizabeth Thayer. This connection to her grandparents suggests a close-knit family environment during her formative years.

Marriage and Family Life

A Boston Union

On September 24, 1896, at the age of 19, Florence married John Bradley Cumings in Brookline, Massachusetts. John, also a Bostonian, was a successful banker and stockbroker who later became a partner in the Wall Street firm Cumings & Marckwald.

Family Growth and Relocation

The young couple initially settled in Brookline, where they started their family:

• John Bradley Jr. (born August 15, 1897)
• Wells Bradley (born September 18, 1899)

Around 1900, the Cumings family moved to Manhattan, New York. There, they welcomed their third son:

• Thayer (born March 16, 1904)

By 1910, the family was well-established in Manhattan, residing at 50 East 64th Street. Their household included four Irish female servants, indicating their affluent status in New York society.

The Fateful Titanic Journey

Embarking on a European Vacation

In the spring of 1912, Florence and John embarked on a six-week European vacation. For their return journey to the United States, they boarded the RMS Titanic at Cherbourg, France, as first-class passengers.

Titanic Details:

• Ticket Number: 17599
• Ticket Cost: £71 5s 8d
• Cabin: C-85

The Night of the Sinking

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, when the Titanic struck an iceberg, Florence and John made their way to the boat deck. As the situation became dire, they were among the first-class passengers directed to A-deck to board lifeboat 4.

Florence initially refused to leave her husband, but John assured her he would follow in a later boat. Reluctantly, she entered lifeboat 4 and was saved. Tragically, John Cumings did not survive the sinking, and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

Life After the Titanic

Grief and Hope

Upon returning to New York, Florence was overwhelmed with grief and confined herself to bed at their East 64th Street home. She clung to hope that John might have survived, possibly rescued by a schooner she claimed to have seen near the Titanic’s wreck site.

Honoring the Rescuers

In late May 1912, still in mourning, Florence attended a dinner hosted by Madeleine Astor to honor Captain Arthur Rostron and Dr. Frank McGee of the Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic’s survivors.

Further Tragedies and Second Marriage

World War I Loss

Florence faced another devastating loss during World War I. Her middle son, Wells, joined the Marines and tragically died on June 30, 1918, from wounds sustained during the Battle of Belleau Wood in France. He was only 18 years old.

A New Chapter

In 1921, Florence remarried. Her second husband was Chester Odiorne Swain, a divorced attorney born on January 29, 1877, in Shenandoah, Iowa. Swain worked as general counsel for the Standard Oil Company.

Continued Travel and Loss

The couple lived in Bedford Hills, New York, and traveled extensively. They appear on numerous passenger lists throughout the 1920s and 1930s, visiting countries such as Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and France.

1937 proved to be another year of tragedy for Florence:

• In March, she lost her eldest son, John Bradley Jr., who died from a stroke at just 39 years old.
• On April 21, she became a widow for the second time when Chester Swain passed away.

Final Years and Legacy

Florence spent her later years in New York City. The 1940 census shows her living at 1220 Park Avenue with three servants. Her final residence was at 755 Park Avenue.

Florence Briggs Cumings passed away on September 2, 1949, at the age of 72. She was laid to rest in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Her first husband, John Bradley Cumings, is commemorated on her monument with a touching inscription:

“Sacred to the memory of John Bradley Cumings Born September 26, 1872, Lost at Sea on S.S. Titanic, April 15, 1912 ‘Greater love hath no man than this - that a man lay down his life for his friends.’”

Florence Briggs Cumings’ life story is a testament to human resilience in the face of tragedy. From surviving one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters to enduring the loss of her husband and two sons, she persevered through immense personal challenges. Her legacy serves as a poignant reminder of the Titanic’s human cost and the strength of those who carried on in its wake.