Miss Susan Webber

Who was Susan Webber?

Miss Susan Webber was a 38 (thirty-eight) year-old English woman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Born on July 2, 1873, in North Tamerton, Cornwall, England, she was a second-class passenger on the ill-fated ship, traveling to Hartford, Connecticut to work as a housekeeper for her cousin.

Early Life and Background

What was Susan Webber’s family background?

Susan Webber came from a working-class family in rural England. Her parents were:

Richard Webber (1830-1904): A carpenter
Elizabeth Chapman (1839-1907): Native of Treneglos

She had three known siblings:

Ann (b. 1872, later Mrs. Richard Sanders)
Maud Mary (b. 1880)
Ernest (b. 1884)

How did Susan Webber’s early career develop?

Susan’s early career was marked by domestic service:

1901: Worked as a domestic cook in Clawton
1911: Employed as a cook for retired Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Walker in Devon

The Titanic Journey

Why was Susan Webber on the Titanic?

Susan Webber booked passage on the Titanic to travel to America and keep house for her cousin Charles Ernest Webber (1883-1975) and his wife Bessie (1889-1922) in Hartford, Connecticut. Her family threw her a leaving party before her departure, highlighting the significance of this journey in her life.

What were the details of Susan’s Titanic ticket?

Class: Second Class
Ticket Number: 27267
Cost: £13
Port of Embarkation: Southampton

Who did Susan Webber know on the Titanic?

Susan was acquainted with several passengers on the Titanic:

Samuel Dennis and William Dennis (neighbors, traveling in third class)
Lewis Richard Braund and Owen Harris Braund (family friends, also in third class)

During the voyage, she shared a cabin with two other women:

Edwina Celia Troutt (fellow Briton)
Nora Agnes Keane (Irishwoman)

She also became acquainted with other passengers, including Kate Buss, Marion Wright, Lucy Ridsdale, and Ethel Garside.

The Night of the Disaster

How did Susan Webber survive the Titanic sinking?

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, when the Titanic struck an iceberg, Susan’s survival story unfolded:

She left her cabin ahead of her roommates, as reported by Edwina Troutt.
The exact lifeboat she escaped in is uncertain, but she described a Japanese man in her lifeboat (presumably Masabumi Hosono).
She was likely rescued in Lifeboat 10, although some sources suggest she may have been in Lifeboat 12.
Susan was dressed only in her nightgown, covered by a coat during the evacuation.

What was Susan’s experience on the Carpathia?

After being rescued, Susan’s ordeal continued aboard the Carpathia:

She slept in one of the dining saloons on top of the tables.
Sleep was scarce due to constant meal preparations for the influx of survivors.
A fierce thunderstorm during the journey to New York further unsettled the already traumatized passengers.

Arrival in New York and Aftermath

How did Susan Webber describe her arrival in New York?

When Susan reached New York, she was in a state of distress:

“By the time Susan reached New York and with all the commotion going on at the Cunard Pier she felt dishevelled, grubby and starved, still standing in the same nightgown she had worn when leaving the Titanic and with her unkempt hair hanging down her back.”

When a Red Cross official asked if she needed anything, Susan’s poignant reply was simply, “a comb.”

What happened to Susan immediately after the disaster?

She was taken to the Junior League House with fellow survivor Kate Buss.
Her cousin Charles Webber traveled from Connecticut to reunite with her.
She returned to Hartford with her cousin.
In the weeks following the disaster, she maintained contact with Kate Buss.
Susan became part of a group action lawsuit filed against White Star Line.

Life After the Titanic

How did the Titanic disaster impact Susan’s later life?

Susan Webber’s life after the Titanic was marked by:

Never marrying
Maintaining her cousin’s house for the rest of her life
Returning to Britain twice (October 1926 and September 1931) aboard the Mauretania
Active membership in the Grange and the Congregational Church

Where did Susan Webber live in her later years?

Susan’s residences in the United States:

Year	Address	Description
1920	16 Trinity Street, Hartford	Boarder, unmarried domestic
1930-1940	French Street, Hartford	Housekeeper for widowed cousin Charles Webber and his daughter Gladys

Susan Webber’s Final Years

When and how did Susan Webber pass away?

Susan Webber’s life came to an end on January 29, 1952:

Age at death: 78 (seventy-eight) years old
Cause: Coronary complications
Place of death: Hartford Hospital, Connecticut
Burial: Center Cemetery in Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Susan Webber’s remarkable journey from a domestic cook in rural England to a Titanic survivor and her subsequent life in America serves as a testament to her resilience and adaptability in the face of one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters.