Katie Mullen

[Joanne O'Bray]

Hi,

My name is Joanne, I live in New Zealand but was born in England.

I have been searching for my Great Great Aunt who was on the Titanic. All I've had to go on so far is that her last name was Millen or Miller and she was born in Ireland. After an extensive search of the passenger list I have found that the closest person is Katie Mullen.

I have read about her on this site but what I need to find out is about her past. Who were her family members? Did she have any brothers or sisters?

If anyone has any information I would be most grateful.

Joanne

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hello Joanne,

As one Kiwi to another welcome to Encyclopedia Titanica.

Looking at Katie's biography in: The Irish Aboard Titanic: parents Thomas and Mary; 4 older siblings. John the eldest, Elizabeth who was 2 years younger, Rose 2 younger again, Thomas another two years younger again and then Katie herself who was 2 years younger than Thomas.

However, I am confused because under the heading: 1911 census: ".... Thomas (65), farmer, wife Mary (64), married 40 years, nine children, seven surviving, Thomas (23) Bridget (24), Kate (19) ....."

I am guessing that your Great Great Aunt survived? If not what about Mary Mullin?

Hope your search goes well,
Lester

 

[Joanne O'Bray]

Thanks very much for all the info Lester.

I will run this information past my mother who knows more than I do about our herritage, however, going through those names I think I have hit a brick wall.

A thought just occured to me though, I wonder if it was not my great grandmothers sister but my great grandfather's. I shall do a search for his name of 'Brownbill' and see if I can dig anything up.

Failing that, the fact that my family never spoke of the matter of my great great aunt, I wonder if she could have been a stowaway or maybe had been on board another way.

Wish me luck.

Jo

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Jo,

I do not believe there were any stowaways. - You do not say if the lady survived. If she did then she should be on the survivor lists, very particularly what I refer to as the Carpathia Lists.

Your other alternative if the lady arrived in the US via NY is to do a search on: www.ellisislandrecords.org/ - Happy hunting!

 

[Joanne O'Bray]

Thank you Lester,

I didn't say if she survived because I do not know. I have only the information that my Mother gave me which is very flimsy as her family didn't like to talk about it. Her Mother (my Grandmother) told her she was lost on the Titanic and her mother was a no nonsence sort of lady who would not fib about such things.

I believe that to mean that she drowned but the information is so minimal that it is hard to know.

I am going to record my mother talking about her family (ie her grandparents) and see if I can find out that way. By tracing my family history. I have been over the passenger lists with a fine tooth comb to no avail.

But I am not the sort of person to give up. So onwards and upwards.

Jo

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hello Jo,

Well if she was lost then you can rule out Katie Mullen. So what about Mary Mullin? - Looking at her biography in: The Irish Aboard Titanic in 1901 she was living with her mother, three brothers and two sisters: Owen, Bartholomew, Dan, Bridget and Margaret. There is also mention of another brother named Joseph.

 

[Joanne O'Bray]

Hey Lester,

Thanks to the link you gave me on Thursday, I have found her. I cannot thank you enough.

It seems my family got it wrong, Her name was Fanny Millen and was not on board the Titanic but the S.S. Celtic.

I don't know why my great grandmother told my grandmother her youngest sister was on the Titanic. A question I will never have answered I'm affraid. All my mother and I can come up with is that maybe she had discraced the family somehow. The difference between catholic and protestant back then was quite a bit. All we can do is speculate.

But at least I have found her, which means I am bound to have other family members living today in America.

Thank you again Lester without your help I'm not sure I would have found her.

Jo

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hello Jo,

Good to hear that you have a result. - Looks as if she was a widow going to her sister in NY.

Glad to have been of help. Hope your family search goes well.

Lester