Mr Stanley Hubert Fox

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© William Wellington Napier

Mr Stanley Hubert Fox, 38, was born on 13th April, 1876 and lived at 38 Gregory St, Rochester, NY. He had been on business in Birmingham, England before booking a return passage to America (ticket No. 229236, £13) with the Grand Trunk Co. He boarded the Titanic at Southampton.

Mr Fox died in the sinking, his body was later recovered by the MacKay Bennett (#236):

When his remains were brought back to Halifax, NS a woman identifying herself as Lydia Fox and claiming to be his sister-in-law stated that as Mr Fox's widow Cora was 'prostrated in Rochester' over the death of her husband, Lydia was authorized to act on her behalf. The officials saw no reason to doubt her story so they released the body and personal effects to be loaded on Lydia's train home. However, shortly before the train departed, they received a telegram from Mrs Fox, instructing that the body not be released to Lydia Fox and to retain the personal effects.

While retaining the personal effects, they initially allowed the body on the train. However, while the train was enroute from Halifax, they recieved information that a possible insurance fraud was being perpetrated, so at the next stop, the body was off loaded; an ignorant Lydia Fox continuing on her journey.

After an additional telegram from the mayor of Rochester, Mr Fox's body and effects were finally routed home.

Acknowledgements
Arthur Merchant, USA
Alan Tucker, UK
William Wellington Napier (great grandson)

References
Birmingham Daily Gazette, April 16 1912 - April 29 inc.
John P. Eaton & Charles A. Haas (1994) Titanic: Triumph & Tragedy, 2nd ed. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1 85260 493 X