Miss Kate Hargadon

Who was Kate Hargadon?

Miss Kate Hargadon was a 17 (seventeen) year-old Irish third-class passenger aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Born on June 15, 1894, in Carrownamaddoo, Ballintogher, Ballysadare, Co Sligo, Ireland, Kate was a young cook embarking on a journey to America when tragedy struck.

Early Life and Background

Family and Upbringing

Kate Hargadon came from a humble Irish Catholic family:

• Parents: Patrick Hargadon (b. circa 1864) and Mary Creighan (b. circa 1855)
• Siblings: Four sisters, including twins Mary Anne and Bridget “Bee” (b. May 28, 1889), Kate (b. 1890, died in infancy), and Margaret (b. February 29, 1892)

Her parents, who were illiterate, married on February 13, 1888, in their native Sligo. The family lived in Carrownamaddoo, with the 1901 census showing them at number 12, where Patrick was described as a farmer.

Early Career

By the time of the 1911 census, the Hargadon family had moved to 6 Carrownamaddoo. Kate, having left school, was already working as a domestic cook at the young age of 17 (seventeen).

The Titanic Journey

Embarkation and Ticket Details

Kate boarded the Titanic at Queenstown (now Cobh), Co Cork, as a third-class passenger. Her ticket details were as follows:

Destination and Travel Companions

Kate was travelling to 133 West 126th Street, Manhattan, where a sister had paid for her journey. During the voyage, she shared accommodations with two other girls from Sligo:

• Margaret Devaney
• Mary Delia Burns

What Happened to Kate During the Disaster?

The fate of Kate Hargadon during the sinking of the Titanic remains a mystery, with conflicting accounts from the sole survivor of her group, Margaret Devaney.

Account 1: Hesitation on Deck

In an account published in the Irish World on May 4, 1912, Margaret Devaney related:

We were all on deck, not thinking it was serious, when the boy comes along and said “You girls had better get into a boat.” Then he held out his hand, saying “I hope we’ll meet again.”… I got into the boat, but Mary Burns and Kitty Hargadon held back, thinking it was safer to remain on the ship, I never saw them again…

Account 2: Seasickness and Fear

In another version, Margaret stated that Kate was suffering from seasickness and fear, unable to face climbing a ladder to the higher decks. She reportedly remained in the communal third-class areas, possibly the aft well deck, with Mary Burns staying to care for her.

Legacy and Family Aftermath

Kate Hargadon did not survive the sinking of the Titanic, and her body, if recovered, was never identified. The tragedy had a lasting impact on her family:

• Her sister Margaret migrated to New York in May 1922, a decade after the disaster.
• Sister Bridget married tailor Patrick Henry on June 8, 1913.
• Kate’s mother, Mary, suffered from Bright’s disease and passed away on December 11, 1921.
• Her father, Patrick, died of heart failure on August 18, 1924.

Kate Hargadon’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the many young lives lost in the Titanic disaster, particularly among the third-class passengers who faced the greatest challenges in escaping the sinking ship.