My second book about the RMS Titanic and her passengers and crew along with some movie talk. Same rules apply, no drama, trolls, and disrespecting the people on this ship
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September 22nd, 1878 - September 27th, 1974
She is a Virgo.
Mabel Kate Bennett, née Pilgrim, was born in Eling, Hampshire, England and was baptized on November 24th, 1878 in Colbury. She was the daughter of James Pilgrim (1847 - 1933), a labourer, and Sarah Ann Groom (1847 - 1935); both Hampshire natives who had married in 1865. She had nine surviving siblings: Sarah Louisa (born 1865), Alice Ann (born 1867), James (born 1869), Emily (born 1872), Charles Williams (born 1874), Jessie (born 1877), Eva Maud (born 1881), Rosa (born 1883), and Ada Beatrice (born 1887). At the time of 1881 census Mabel and her family were living at Netley Tote Gate, New Forest, Hampshire and on the 1891 census the family were living at Netley Tote Gate only a different number then before. Her father later worked as a gardener and when the family appears on the 1901 census, they were living at Ashurst Bridge Road, Netley Marsh; Mabel was listed elsewhere as an unmarried domestic servant in Ashdown Park, Hartfield, Sussex.
Mabel was married in St. Luke's Church, Southampton on April 30th, 1905 to George William Bennett (born 1878), a taxi cab driver. The couple then moved to London and made their home at Peckham Park Road, Kent and other addresses and had one child, a daughter named Mabel Clara who was born in Camberwell, London on May 6th, 1906. Within the next few months their marriage began to falter and they ended up living apart, with George living at different addresses and sending only stipends until Mabel Clara was about one years old, after which his communication financial support to Mabel and Maud Clara began to gradually diminish. Mabel and Mabel Clara upped and left London, returning to Hampshire where she had family.
Onboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912: By the time of the 1911 census, Mabel and Mabel Clara were living with Emily and her husband Alfred Crawford at Frederick Street, Southampton. She had no stated profession at the time but she is believed to have already been working at sea by this point, later serving aboard the RMS Olympic and being present aboard at the time of her collision with the HMS Hawke in September of 1911. When she signed onto the Titanic on April 6th, 1912 she gave her address as Cranbury Avenue, Southampton, the same address given by her brother-in-law Alfred. She gave her previous ship as the Olympic and as a stewardess she received monthly wages of £, 10s. Also serving aboard, besides Alfred, was her new ones Leonard Hoare, the son of Sarah Louisa.
On the night of the sinking, Mabel was rescued in lifeboat 5, Henry Etches later identified as the woman at lifeboat 5 following repeated from William Murdoch and J. Bruce Ismay for women to come forward and take a seat at the partially filled boat. After their calls one solitary woman appeared, Ismay asking her to get into the boat. The woman responded "I am only a stewardess" to which Ismay replied "Nevermind, you are a woman. Take your place" and she got in, the last woman Etches saw entering the boat before it was lowered away. Leonard Hoare was lost in the sinking and Alfred survived the sinking in lifeboat 8.
After The Sinking/Later Life/Death: Mabel returned to England with other surviving crew; in Plymouth she was photographed alongside other surviving stewardesses. She wasn't required to give evidence to either the American or the British inquiries into the sinking but was rewarded expanses of £7, 7s with regards to her detention at the latter. She later returned to work at sea. Her marriage never recovered, she sent her estranged husband numerous letters to which he didn't reply. On September 30th, 1915, whilst a resident of Fletchwood in Totton, she filed for divorce. George further distanced himself from his responsibilities and in November of 1915, whilst a resident of Antfield, Howard Grove in Shirley, Southampton, he signed up for the war effort. From November of 1915 to February of 1916 he trained and served on home soil before being deployed to East Africa where he served until May of 1917 before returning home. He was later discharged from service on account of his health.
On December 8th, 1917, the Hampshire Advertiser made a fleeing to the divorce proceedings between George and Mabel, the article referring to Mabel as a stewardess. What became of George remains unknown but Mabel continued to work at sea; by between 1917 and 1919 she was a stewardess aboard the New York and she was described as standing at 5'7 and weighing 130 lbs. One such voyage had another Titanic luminary, James Witter. By 1920, she was still going by Mabel Bennett and working aboard the Lapland and served on the same ship for numerous other voyages. On August 25th, 1920 she was working aboard the Olympic when the ship entered New York, 3 of her fellow stewardesses at the time were Sarah Stap, Elizabeth Leather, and Violet Jessop. With a divorce under her belt, Mabel married in New Forest in 1917 to John W. Walker (1882 - 1964). By 1939, the couple were living at Earls Road, Southampton with Mabel having no stated profession. Mabel was fated to outlive Mabel Clara. Mabel Clara married in 1930 to Herbert Claude Pegrum (July 13th, 1903), the Southampton-born son of a map draughtsman and whose younger sister, Violet Irene, was married to the son of Titanic victim William Simmons.
Herbert Pegrum was an ordnance surveyor and he and Mabel Clara, who remained childless, made their home in Ryde on the Isle of Wright for several years before settling on New Road, in Ashurst, Hampshire. Herbert died there on October 21st, 1963 and Mabel Clara was last seen alive on March 15th, 1964. Her body was found the following day, her probate hinting at a possible suicide. Mabel's husband died in 1964 and Mabel spent her last days living at New Road in Ashurst, Hampshire where she passed away December 11th, 1973 at the age of 95. She left only nieces, nephews, and survivors. Her ashes were scattered at Southampton crematorium. She holds two records: she was last surviving female crewmember and also the longest-lived female crew-member. The longest-lived male crew-member was Frederick Dent Ray at the age of 97.
