Gladys Cherry

[Jeffrey M. Kern]

Just a quick note: Miss Cherry was only the first cousin in law to the Countess of Rothes (which I thankfully learned from some relatives, who do not wish their names to be addressed). Gladys was the daughter of Frederick James, Lord Cherry and his wife, Emily Louisa Haworth (Aunt of Norman Evelyn, Lord Leslie, 19th Earl of Rothes, and Baron of Ballinbreich). Gladys was the youngest of three children, and, as mentioned, she married George Octavius Shaw Pringle (some time after April 1928, in her late forties, thus having no children with Mr Pringle, a military officer). She (as also mentioned in her biography) died on 4 May 1965 at Mount Alvernia, Godalming, in Surrey South Western, England. Just thought to share the name of Miss Cherry's parents, as well Miss Cherry's being only the cousin in law of the Countess of Rothes, as opposed to her being the exact cousin. Hope this helps anyone else who had got confused.

 

[Claire Cherry]

Hi there!
I've recently began researching my family tree, and to gather some information i logged on to a search engine and typed in my unusual surname 'Cherry'. I was amazed to find that a miss Gladys Cherry had been aboard the titanic with her cousin (the Countess of Rothes)and they'd survived. Gladys was born in London in 1881 and died in Surrey in 1965. She married an army officer, George Octavius Shaw Pringle. My research so far has shown me that I have family & relatives which is widespread across the UK, including Scotland, Carlisle, & Eastbourne as many of my great aunts and uncles were adopted and moved all over the country. If anyone has any info which could help my research into my family history, i'd be grateful for the help and i'd love to hear from anyone who thinks they may be related to me. Thanx!

 

[Dan Cherry]

Hi, Claire!
An official welcome from the only other Cherry on the ET board! I did some limited research one time to see if I was related to passenger Gladys Cherry, but my ancestors were not from England, and nothing short of a very remote connection would be possible at this point...
Again, welcome to the ET and I hope you find more genealogy to add to your research!

Kind regards,
Dan Cherry
USA

 

[João Carlos Pereira Martins]

The Countess of Rothes's cousin has always puzzled me. I couldn't find any relevant information about how she passed her voyage, how was her personality, what were her activities before and after 1912. Did she give any interview after the tragedy and did other passengers report to chat with her during the voyage? Almost nobody reported seeing her on board and she didn't even appear in James Cameron's film. Did she never leave her room to have dinner? I think you'll help me people.

Regards, João

 

[Brian Ahern]

The fact that she was one of the few in lifeboat 8 who wanted to return for those struggling in the water gives a window into her character. We can also glean from that letter that she was quite nationalist in her sentiments.

My sense is of a haughty but good-hearted aristocratic woman.

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

"….The Countess of Rothes's cousin have always puzzled me…."

Gladys Cherry was actually a cousin of Noelle’s husband, Norman, Earl of Rothes; she was therefore technically Noelle’s cousin-in-law.

"…I couldn't find any relevant information about how she passed her voyage, how was her personality, what were her activities before and after 1912…."

Gladys and Noelle were out and about quite a bit on board. Gladys’ personality? She seems to have been high-spirited and chatty. She was active on the social scene in London and probably continued to be, though I haven’t researched her later life in any detail.

"…Did she give any interview after the tragedy and did other passengers report to chat with her during the voyage?…"

I don’t think she gave many interviews, if any. But her letter praising seaman Thomas Jones was published widely. Noelle and Gladys made friends with several passengers — the Tyrell Cavendishes, Henry Forbes Julian and Fletcher Lambert Williams, among others.

"….Almost nobody reported seeing her on board and she didn't even appear in James Cameron's film…."

Gladys wasn’t reclusive at all, and was indeed remembered by other passengers. As to the movie —— hundreds of Titanic passengers and crew weren’t portrayed. But actually I think she may have been featured in the film. In the tea scene with Molly Brown, the young lady with the countess may have been Gladys.

 

[Mike Poirier]

Joao-
3 letters of hers survive at the Liverpool maritime museum in England. She also published something in the NY Herald I believe.

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

The Atlantic Daily Bulletin, the journal of the British Titanic Society, published Cherry’s letters a few years ago, and both she and Noelle contributed to a book of tributes to Henry Forbes Julian that his wife published after the disaster.

 

[Brian Ahern]

Hi Randy and Michael - would either of you know anything about her husband? I've never been able to find out anything on the Shaw Pringle family.

Regards,

 

[João Carlos Pereira Martins]

Gladys Cherry married an army officer, Brian, but I don't know any detailed information about him. Anybody knows if Gladys, as a single woman, was being maintained by her cousin Norman? I know that at that time,single 30 and 40-year-old and so else single women frequently lived with the money of her parents, brothers-in-law or elder brothers. Was that the case of Miss Cherry? And is there any report of her personal relation with the Countess?

Thank you people, João

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Brian — I know nothing at all about Gladys Cherry’s activities post-1912 other than that she married and lived a long life. The Pringles that I’ve read about were titled and held diplomatic positions. The 1920s Hollywood actress Aileen Pringle was a member of this family. I have no idea whether this is the same branch that Gladys married into but it seems likely.

Joao — Gladys’ family was prominent. Her father had died, supposedly leaving a tidy sum, and her mother, Lady Emily Cherry (nee Haworth-Leslie), if not very rich in her own right, was sufficiently well-off. I doubt Norman Rothes was supporting Gladys but she may have been living off an annuity of some other sort. As to her relationship with Noelle — she was a friend and in-law.

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

PS — Gladys Cherry and Norman Rothes were both grandchildren of the 18th Countess of Rothes, so Gladys may have received an inheritance from her.

 

[João Carlos Pereira Martins]

One thing I would like to know was why Gladys was crossing the Atlantic with the Countess? Was she moving to Canada?

 

[Geoff Whitfield]

Hi Randy!

Gladys Pringle lived, during her latter years at The White Hart Hotel, Witley, Surrey. She died 4th May 1965 at Mount Alvernia, Godalming, Surrey.
Beneficiaries of her will were Ada Barlow (O.B.E) and Peggy Barron.

 

[Brian Ahern]

Thanks, Randy and Geoff.

Now I know what her death certificate meant when, if I'm correct, it listed her occupation as "of the White Hart". It obviously meant that this was her home.

She seems like a likable sort, though with an excessive (though forgivable and not at all unusual among people of any country) nationalism. Her letter to Seaman Jones seemed to want to make out that the Britons in boat 8 all wanted to row back to save people in the water. She said the only Britons in the boat were her, the Countess, Roberta M, and Seaman Jones. She conveniently ignores that all the men she faulted for not going back were British, as were at least three of the women (Edith Pears, Lily Bonnell and Ellen Bird) who did not argue in favor of going back.

I've always wondered about the identity of the lone American woman she said wanted to go back. My guess would be Emma Bucknell, since she seems to have been seated near the Countess and could have taken part in the discussion.