Daniel Coxon

Mr Daniel Coxon was born in St Pancras, Middlesex, England on 27 August 1853, later being baptised on 18 September that same year in the Old Church, St Pancras.

He was the son of Daniel Coxon (1818-1900), a carpenter, and Ann Myall (1823-1895), natives of Derbyshire and Somerset respectively.

Daniel Coxon senior had first been married in London on 10 February 1846 to Elizabeth Myall (b. circa 1821) and with her had a daughter named Elizabeth Sarah (1846-1849) who died in infancy. His wife Elizabeth appears to have died in late 1850 or early 1851. He was remarried on 13 May 1853 to Ann Myall, Elizabeth's sister, and with her had nine children: Edwin (1851-1912), Daniel (1853-1912), Elizabeth Sarah (1855-1931), John Myall (1857-1940), Henry (1859-1899), Alfred (1861-1949), David William (1863-1950), Arthur (1867-1891) and Mary Ann Myall (1869-1953).

Daniel appears on the 1861 census living with his family at 25 Oak Village, Kentish Town, Middlesex. The family were shown at different addresses in Kentish Town for the 1871 through 1891 census records but Daniel was not listed with them.

The 1900 US census states he emigrated in 1880 (although family sources indicate he may have initially emigrated to Canada around 1873).  In 1885 he was noted as living in Wausau, Wisconsin, about 20 miles south of the town of Merrill, Wisconsin where he eventually settled.

Coxon was never married, apparently always living alone, and the 1900 census describes him as a labourer; by the time of the 1910 census, he was described as a street popcorn vendor. Contemporary news reports also describe him as a "cripple" (he was paralyzed in one arm) and also show that he was well-known in his community by the moniker "Popcorn Dan." In the 1912 Merrill city directory he was listed as a peanut vendor. He also did odd jobs at the German-American bank in Merrill.

Back in England, his mother had passed away on 14 July 1895 in a fire whilst she was a resident of 10 Gospel Oak Grove, Kentish Town. She had reportedly fallen downstairs whilst carrying a paraffin lamp, setting herself alight and being burned so severely that she died within hours. His father died on 19 February 1900 a few weeks after fracturing his leg in a fall.  Daniel's siblings continued to live in the Greater London area.

Whilst it is believed Daniel had made a previous return to England in previous years ¹, he returned to Britain aboard the New York on 22 December 1911, travelling in third class aboard the same steamer that almost collided with Titanic in Southampton docks four months later. Whilst in England he resided at 38 Rockford, Kentish Town, London, the home of his brother Alfred Coxon.

Dan reportedly delayed his return to the US so that he could travel aboard the new steamer Titanic.

Around 7 am on the morning of 10 April 1912, he left the house in Kentish Town together with his brother Alfred and John Michael Natus, the son of his sister Elizabeth Sarah, for Waterloo station.  They travelled together to Southampton where they boarded the Titanic.   

Alfred stated that [presumably emigration] officials wanted to prevent Dan from boarding the Titanic because he was paralyzed in one arm, but when he was able to produce proof of his American citizenship (a certificate of naturalization) they relented and allowed him to board. Arthur said he stayed with Dan on the Titanic for about an hour and a half before waving him off.

Dan travelled as a third-class passenger (ticket number 364500 which cost  £7, 5s).

Mr Coxon lost his life in the disaster and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

His probate report states that he left property valued at no more than $700 and real estate no more than $2,000. He owned two adjacent properties in Merrill, one of which he rented out to a Harry Krom and the other he lived in himself.

Some months after the disaster it was reported that Daniel's brother Edwin Coxon had been found drowned in the Regent's canal, an apparent suicide, having brutally assaulted his wife with a chopper. She died from her injuries the following day.  It was speculated in the newspapers that his behaviour was linked to epilepsy, or his wife's infidelity.