May Elizabeth Howard

(Courtesy of John Balls, UK)

May Elizabeth Howard was born on 2 May 1885 in North Walsham, Norfolk to William Howard, and his wife Martha, née Whall. Her father was a farm labourer.

In 1912 she was working as a domestic servant in her home town of North Walsham. May boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a third class passenger (ticket number A. 2. 39186, £8, 1s). She was intending to join her brother in Toronto, Canada and find work as a nanny.

May described how the ship rocked with the collision followed by a ringing of bells. The doctor (?) came and told them all was well but to get their lifebelts.

During the voyage she had become friendly with Mrs Emily Goldsmith, when it came time to evacuate the sinking liner, she left in Collapsible C with them:

" One of the ships officers grabbed Mrs Goldsmith and myself and pushed us to the edge of the ship where the lifeboat was being filled with women and children. An officer there shouted, 'All men back, women come first.'"
The Orleans American and Weekly News, May 2 1912, pg 1

After her arrivalon the Carpathia, she sent the following telegram from New York

Arrived safe will write. May

It had been May's intention to go on to Toronto to join her brother Ernest, but it is unclear whether she continued on after arriving at her sister's home in Albion, New York. It seems that she resided with her sister, Mrs Hewitt, and another sister, Mrs Kenyon, until both died.

Miss Howard died in the Rochester State Hospital on 28 November 1958. She was unmarried. She was buried, on 1 December 1958 in Boxwood Cemetery, in Medina, New York.

Available Documents
Certificate of Death

References
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])

References
John Balls (1999) Titanic: The Norfolk Survivors. Nostalgia Publications. ISBN 0 947630 25 2

Acknowledgements
John Balls, UK

Contributors
Phillip Gowan, USA
Brian Meister, USA