Hannah O'Brien

Who was Mrs Hannah O’Brien?

Mrs Hannah O’Brien was a 27-year-old (twenty-seven) Irish housewife who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Born Hannah Godfrey on June 4, 1884, in Kyle, Cappamore, County Limerick, Ireland, she embarked on a journey that would forever change her life and become part of one of history’s most famous maritime disasters.

Early Life and Family

Hannah was born into a farming family in rural Ireland. Her parents were:

Father: Michael Godfrey (born circa 1848), a farmer
Mother: Eliza “Lizzie” Gilhooly (born circa 1850)

Hannah was one of six known siblings:

Mary (born February 21, 1876)
Michael (born March 8, 1877)
Catherine (born September 25, 1878)
Margaret (born October 24, 1880)
Hanora (born January 29, 1882)
Patrick (born January 6, 1887)

Growing up on the family farm, Hannah’s early years were typical of rural Irish life at the turn of the 20th century. The 1901 census listed the family living at house 12 in Kilduffahoo, Limerick, where Hannah was described as a 16-year-old farmer’s daughter.

A Fateful Journey

How did Hannah come to be on the Titanic?

By early 1912, Hannah had become involved with Thomas O’Brien, a fellow Limerick native from Grean. Though the details of their marriage remain unclear, Hannah was pregnant by the time they decided to emigrate to America. The couple boarded the Titanic at Queenstown (now Cobh) as third-class passengers, bound for Chicago where Thomas’s sister Mary Hunt resided.

What were the details of Hannah’s Titanic voyage?

Ticket Number: 370365
Ticket Cost: £15 10s
Class: Third Class
Embarked: Queenstown
Destination: Chicago, Illinois (638 Sherman Plaza)

Survival and Aftermath

Hannah survived the sinking of the Titanic, though in which lifeboat remains unknown. Tragically, her husband Thomas did not survive. Upon arriving in New York aboard the Carpathia, Hannah gave her next of kin as her mother Eliza in Ireland and stated her destination as the Foundling Asylum at 65th Street.

How did Hannah’s life unfold after the Titanic?

In the aftermath of the disaster, Hannah faced several challenges:

She became embroiled in a dispute over compensation with Thomas’s family.
Hannah produced evidence of her marriage to Thomas, securing her claim to relief funds.
On September 3, 1912, she gave birth to her daughter, Marion Columba O’Brien, in Brooklyn.

Hannah’s resilience is evident in a terse letter she wrote to her sister-in-law Mary Hunt:

“You needn’t worry about me. My baby and myself will be alright. I knew ye were all trying to get some money. I produced my marriage certificate, and I had the nearest claim. So you nor the lawyer needn’t bother…”

Later Life and Legacy

Hannah’s life took several turns in the years following the Titanic disaster:

She remarried to James Quinn, a fireman from Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1908.
The couple had a son, also named James, born in 1918.
Tragically, Hannah died from influenza at the young age of 34 (thirty-four) on October 17, 1918.
She was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn.

What became of Hannah’s children?

Marion, Hannah’s daughter born shortly after the Titanic disaster, went on to lead a full life:

She worked as a telephone operator from a young age.
Marion married William J. Hanlon, an Irish civil engineer.
They had one son and two daughters.
She lived in Albany until her husband’s death, then moved to Tennessee.
Marion passed away on July 4, 1994, at the age of 81 (eighty-one) in Manchester, Tennessee.

A Titanic Legacy

Hannah O’Brien’s story is a poignant reminder of the human impact of the Titanic disaster. Her survival, subsequent struggles, and the life she built for her family in America exemplify the resilience of many immigrants who sought a new life across the Atlantic. Though her own life was cut short, Hannah’s legacy lived on through her daughter Marion, herself a Titanic survivor, whose long life bore witness to the enduring impact of that fateful voyage in April 1912.