Encyclopedia Titanica

Lily Odell

RMS Titanic Cross-Channel Passenger

Lily Odell
Lily Odell

Lily Odell (née May) was born 17 Octobr 1871 in Clapham, London the daughter of Richard William May (1832-187) and Susan Ellen Mann (1833-1913). His father had risen from being a porter to becoming a successful fishmonger at Billingsgate fish market.

She had six siblings: Richard William May (1858–1938), Philip Charles May (1859–1900), Walter Moss May (1861–1893), Stanley James May (1866–1946), Susan Amy May (1868–1950), and Fred May (1872–1936).She boarded the Titanic at Southampton for the short journey to Queenstown Ireland, together with her son Jack, her sister-in-law Kate and brothers Richard May and Stanley May. Her husband Herbert Odell had bought a ticket for six passengers at a cost of £24. But in the end, he was unable to join the party. 

Odell Family
Richard May, Lily Odell, Stanley May and Jack Odell
(Photograph by Kate Odell)

Lily and the family left the Titanic at Queenstown.

Lily Odell was widowed on 13 February 1947 and she died in 1966 at the age of 95.  She was cremated at Kent County Crematorium, Charing, Ashford Borough Kent, England, and her ashes were scattered on the East Lawn (1st Oak Opposite 2nd Rose Bed).

Research Articles

John Atkinson ('Brian Odell') Titanica! (2011) The Odell Titanic Album
The famous collection of photographs from Titanic's maiden voyage

Comment and discuss

  1. Stanley C Jenkins

    Stanley C Jenkins

    I have been talking to a relative of the Odells, who is very interested in her family history. She says that the family were related to the Mays by marriage - hence the presence of Stanley May and Richard May as travelling companions. There could also be a link to the Conynghams (spellings vary), who were from Donegal; all of these people were apparently travelling on the same ticket. It is believed that most branches of these inter-related families were Protestants, and it is unlikely that they would have adopted the O’dell spelling. I can probably find out much more about their backgrounds.
  2. Stanley C Jenkins

    Stanley C Jenkins

    Just a thought, but "the the Odells who arrived at Ellis Island", cannot have been the Odells who got off the Titanic at Queenstown, unless they subsequently travelled to America on another vessel (which I think is unlikely). In any case, would First Class passengers have been sent to Ellis Island? I had always thought that they were, in some way, "excused" - unless there was an immigration problem, as happened in the case of the music hall/vaudville star Marie Lloyd, whose act was considered to be too immoral for American audiences.
  3. Anthony Cunningham

    Anthony Cunningham

    Hello folks - I am writing an account of some of the children on board the Titanic. May I enquire if anyone knows if Jack Odell ever wrote some memories of his cross channel voyage?
  4. Stanley C Jenkins

    Stanley C Jenkins

    The Odells are mentioned several times on this forum, but I don't think Jack Odell could remember very much about his cross-channel trip.
  5. Paul Mansell

    Paul Mansell

    Hello everybody, I have been looking at this site and recently registered as I am a relative of Jack O'Dell who is mentioned along with his family in a few forums and also the phot album that was taken by the family group. To cut a long story short, Jack's second wife - Pamela Davies was my fathers Sister, so Jack was my uncle. There seems to be some missing information on jack in his later years and I'm happy to fill in any missing pieces if I can. Also very interested to hear from any other members of the O'Dell family if there are any still alive. As a point in one Forum it was mentioned if Jack was the same jack Odell that invented matchbox toys., I can confirm 100% it is not the same person, jack Odell took over his father's Fish business and ran it successfully until it went bust and he lost everything whilst he was married to Pamela. In his later years he and Pamela lived in a council house in Milton Keynes which was the stage of his life that I knew him. As far as I am... Read full post

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Titanic Passenger Summary

Name: Mrs Lily Odell (née May)
Age: 40 years 5 months and 29 days (Female)
Nationality: English
Marital Status: Married to Herbert Odell
Last Residence: in London, England
Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 84, £24
Disembarked: Queenstown
Ashes Scattered: Kent County Crematorium, Ashford, Kent, England

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