Laura May Cribb

Laura May Cribb was a 16 (sixteen) year-old American survivor of the Titanic disaster. Born on July 24, 1895, in Newark, New Jersey, she embarked on the ill-fated voyage as a third-class passenger with her father, John Hatfield Cribb. Her remarkable story of survival and subsequent life journey offers a unique perspective on one of history’s most infamous maritime tragedies.

Early Life and Background

What was Laura’s family background?

Laura was born to an Anglo-Australian father, John Hatfield Cribb, a butler, and an English-born mother, Bessie Jane Welch. Her parents had married in England in 1894 before settling in Newark, New Jersey, where Laura was born. She had three younger siblings:

• Ernest Hatfield (born May 23, 1897)
• Ellen Kate (born December 17, 1899)
• Frank Victor (born December 20, 1905)

All of Laura’s siblings were born in England, highlighting the family’s transatlantic movements.

Why did Laura move to England as a child?

As an infant, Laura was a sickly child. Doctors advised her parents that the polluted air and climate of New Jersey were not favorable to her health. Consequently, Mrs. Cribb brought baby Laura back to rural England, while her father remained in Newark, making frequent ocean crossings to visit his family.

Life in England

By 1901, Laura and her family were living at Ashley Road, Branksome, Dorset. The 1911 census shows them residing at Helenita, Salterns Road, Poole. At this time, Laura was described as an apprentice in the “view department,” though the exact nature of this work is unclear.

The Titanic Journey

Why did Laura board the Titanic?

In September 1911, Laura’s father made another visit to Britain. During this trip, Laura decided she wanted to return to her birthplace. On April 10, 1912, Laura and her father boarded the Titanic at Southampton as third-class passengers. Their destination was Newark, New Jersey, with the intention that the rest of the family would join them later to settle permanently.

What were the details of Laura’s Titanic ticket?

The Night of the Disaster

Laura’s account of the Titanic’s sinking varied in different interviews she gave over the years. In her initial interview with the Newark Evening Star on April 19, 1912, she stated:

We were up later than usual that night, for the weather was fine and the stars were bright. Most of the third cabin, where father and I were, had stayed up late and were just turning in for the night. I had said goodbye to papa and was in my room, but had not disrobed, and that is how I happen to be wearing the same black dress which I wore all day Sunday on the Titanic.

How did Laura escape the sinking ship?

In a later interview in 1948, Laura provided more details about her escape:

1. She was asleep when the collision occurred.
2. After investigating the commotion, she reunited with her father.
3. They made their way to the lifeboats together.
4. An officer instructed her father to put a lifebelt on her.
5. Laura was placed in the third lifeboat to be lowered.

Laura also claimed that two Chinese men jumped into her lifeboat, and an officer shot them, though this account is unverified and controversial.

Life After the Titanic

How did Laura’s life change after surviving the Titanic?

After her rescue by the Carpathia, Laura was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York. She fell ill and spent several weeks recovering at her uncle’s home in Newark before returning to England on June 29, 1912, aboard the Celtic.

When did Laura meet her future husband?

In a twist of fate, Laura met her future husband, Howard Marsh Buzzell, while returning to England in October 1916 aboard the camouflaged Baltic. They married less than a month later on November 12, 1916, in Poole.

Family Life and Later Years

Laura and Howard had five children:

• Howard (1919-2000)
• Virginia (later Williams, 1920-2005)
• Ernest (1921-2000)
• Elizabeth (later Kendall, 1928-2007)
• Shirley (later Carroll, b. 1935)

The family moved frequently, living in various cities including Albany, Schenectady, Lowville, Phoenix, and finally settling in Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1948.

Laura’s Legacy

How did Laura’s Titanic experience impact her later life?

Laura became a local celebrity in Carlsbad due to her Titanic connection. She gave numerous interviews over the years and wrote and illustrated her own account of the disaster. Her experiences made her an important voice in preserving the memory of the Titanic tragedy.

What were Laura’s community involvements?

• Active for over 40 years in the Rebecca Degree of Odd Fellowship
• Member of Cavern City Ladies Auxiliary (served as secretary, vice president, and president)
• Church historian
• Member of Commission of Missions
• Scrapbook chairman of the Epworth Methodist Church

Laura May Buzzell, née Cribb, passed away on April 4, 1974, at the age of 78 (seventy-eight), following a stroke. She was buried in Carlsbad Cemetery alongside her husband, leaving behind a legacy as one of the last survivors of the Titanic to share her firsthand account of that fateful night.