Miss Mary Delia Burns

Who was Mary Delia Burns?

Mary Delia Burns was a 15 (fifteen) year-old Irish passenger aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Born on September 15, 1896, in Kilmacowen, County Sligo, Ireland, she was a third-class passenger embarking on a journey to America in search of new opportunities. Tragically, Mary did not survive the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912.

Early Life and Background

What was Mary’s family like?

Mary Delia Burns came from a large Roman Catholic family in rural Ireland. Her parents were:

• Father: Thomas Burns (born October 8, 1868)
• Mother: Annie Kemmit (born circa 1870)

Mary was the eldest of eight children:

1. Mary Delia (born September 15, 1896)
2. Michael Joseph (born March 19, 1900)
3. Annie Mary (born October 30, 1901)
4. Margaret Ellen (born June 19, 1903)
5. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Josephine (born March 14, 1905)
6. Catherine (born November 26, 1906)
7. Gertrude Patricia (born March 1, 1909)
8. Thomas (born January 24, 1911)

The Burns family lived in Kilmacowen, County Sligo, where Thomas Burns worked as a farmer. According to the 1901 census, the family resided at house 20 in Kilmacowen, later moving to house 15 in the same area.

Titanic Journey

Why did Mary embark on the Titanic?

Mary Delia Burns boarded the Titanic as a third-class passenger at Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland. Her ticket number was 330963, which cost £7 17s 7d. Despite her family being financially comfortable enough to afford a second-class ticket, Mary chose to travel in steerage to be with her friends Margaret Bedelia Devaney and Kate Hargadon.

The young Irish girl was emigrating to the United States with hopes of finding employment as a housemaid for a well-to-do family. Her destination was the home of her paternal aunt, Mary Sheridan, who had previously emigrated and married Peter Sheridan, a Scottish-born typewriter ribbon finisher. The Sheridan family resided at 942 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

The Fateful Night

What happened to Mary during the Titanic disaster?

The events surrounding Mary Burns’ fate on the night of April 14-15, 1912, remain shrouded in mystery. Two conflicting accounts exist from her friend and fellow passenger, Margaret Devaney, who survived the sinking:

1. Account published in the Irish World (May 4, 1912):

“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…”

2. Alternative account:

Margaret Devaney later related that Kate Hargadon was suffering from seasickness and fear, unable to climb the ladders to the higher decks. According to this version, Mary Burns chose to remain in the third-class areas, possibly the aft well deck, to tend to her ailing friend.

Regardless of which account is accurate, the outcome remained tragically the same. Mary Burns did not survive the sinking of the Titanic, and her body, if recovered, was never identified.

Aftermath and Legacy

How did Mary’s family cope with the tragedy?

In the aftermath of the disaster, confusion arose when the name “Burns” appeared on survivor lists. However, it was later clarified that this referred to Elizabeth Margaret Burns, a first-class passenger who had survived.

Mary’s aunt, Mary Sheridan, rushed to Manhattan, desperately searching hospitals in the hope that her young niece had somehow survived. Sadly, her efforts were in vain.

The Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund provided £25 to Mary’s parents following the tragedy. In a touching tribute to their lost daughter, Thomas and Annie Burns named their next child, born on June 13, 1913, Mary Delia Veronica.

How is Mary remembered today?

Mary Delia Burns is memorialized in several ways:

• A plaque at Kilmacowen graveyard in Ballisodare, County Sligo, near her family’s grave
• A memorial plaque (now disappeared) that once stood in Sligo Cemetery, Cemetery Road, County Sligo

These memorials serve as poignant reminders of the young life cut short by one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history. Mary’s story, like those of many other third-class victims, highlights the disproportionate impact the Titanic’s sinking had on passengers from humbler backgrounds, who faced greater obstacles in reaching the lifeboats and securing their survival.