Margaret Marcella Daly

[Laurie Platt]

I recently purchased the "Women of the Titanic" jewelry pins" and one of them is of Marcella Dale. I could not find her on the passenger list, but on the informaton that I received about her is of follows: Marcella Dale, age 30, left Ireland for NY in hope of finding a job teaching immigrant children. After being hurtled into one of Titanic's last lifeboats, a small baby was thrown to her as the boat was being lowered. The infant had no identification and once in NY, Marcella searched in vain for a family member. She eventually adopted the child herself and though she never married, ended here life as a "grandmother" to nine.
What other information could someone give me about Marcella, when did she died and where is she buried.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Laurie,

Sounds like Margaret Marcella Daly, who travelled third class from Ireland using her middle name and was aged 30. She planned to join her brother, who was a New York policeman. In letters written to her family after her rescue she makes no mention of any incident involving a baby, but newspaper accounts of the time were often very inventive about rescued children.

Hope that's of some help.

Bob

 

[Andrew Maheux]

They are probably referring to Third Class survivor, Margaret Marcella Daly.

My Best,

Andrew

 

[Andrew Maheux]

Bob,

Looks like we posted at the same time.

Andrew

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Andrew,

Yep. Great minds think alike.

Bob

 

[Phillip Gowan]

Bob, Andrew and Laurie--Maggie Daly's brother, John (the policeman) married Marcella Cowan. Maggie had returned home to Ireland to visit her relatives and traveled under Marcella's name. Her own middle name was not Marcella. She was a large, ungainly woman and did not have children, nor did she raise any though she lived in the house with her brother for a time and may have helped to raise John's son, Joseph Daly. Joseph Daly did not have children either, so the line ends there. Another spinster sister lived in New York as well.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

all,

I daresay the makers of collectible jewelry are even more inventive than Edwardian newsmen.

Bob

 

[Kyrila Scully]

The little "biographies" of the "Women of Titanic" pins are composites of actual survivors. None of the names are completely accurate, as you will notice upon examining them closely. Apparently the creators thought fiction might protect them from copyright infringement problems. Basically, they're in it for the money, not the historical accuracy.

Kyrila

 

[Bob Godfrey]

There can surely be no copyright in the names and biographical details of real people? More likely it added extra drama as a selling point, or saved them the small effort of getting it right.

Bob

PS: That's a great pic on your user profile, Kyrila. I'm hoping you dress like that all the time, so don't disappoint me by telling me otherwise!

 

[Kyrila Scully]

You should see me in my Tea Gown!

Kyrila

 

[Bob Godfrey]

It's a date - 4pm in the Palm Court. Wear your 'Women of Titanic' pin so I will know you. You can't miss me - I'll be the one who looks more at home on Skid Row than Saville Row.

Bob

 

[Kyrila Scully]

I'll do better than that! I'll wear my Charlotte Cardeza sapphire ring and my Amy Stanley bracelet, along with my memorial pin. I'm the one in the two piece peach and white lace outfit and the white hat.

Kyrila

 

[Bob Godfrey]

In that case I'll be dressed in my best and prepared to go down like a gentleman.

Bob

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Kyrila,

an interesting observation about hats, from a private letter written by stewardess Violet Jessop after she had seen ANTR (the film):

"I begged Miss Coffin (she means Yvonne Caffin, the costume designer) when she interviewed me ... not to put women on board in the very beflowered, beplumed hats of the period as American women (and they were mostly Americans) would never wear street hats on board, and look what met your eyes at the Captain's table! Everything except the kitchen table on their heads!"

I hope things were different in the Palm Court, as I'd hate to miss out on the hat.

Bob

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Well, actually it was the kitchen stove on their heads.

Sorry, Violet, I know you were a stickler for accuracy.

 

[Mick Molloy]

Another interesting thing about hats, and how seriously some passengers might have taken the threat of sinking. A steerage passenger from my own locality in the west of Ireland was on a life boat and left it to go below to retrieve her hat, she then got into a second lifeboat and survived! Delia McDermott

 

[Bob Godfrey]

That must have been one helluva hat, Mick. Perhaps she kept her money in it.
I'd only go back for a hat if my head were still inside it!

 

[Mick Molloy]

Delia bought the hat before she left Lahardane, in the local town, Crossmolina in a shop called Cawley's, still there. Knowing the way money was at the time,it was probably one of the very few luxuries she ever had. So I suppose it was a hell of a hat! Local folklore has it that on the evening before she left the village she met a stranger who told her about the impending disaster. Her biography on the website is quite accurate. The cottage she left from in Knockfarnought has recently gone up for sale.