RMS Titanic Book 2

Florence Louise Ware

No Picture Available

October 29th, 1879 - August 24th, 1953

She is a Scorpio.

Florence Louisa Long was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England and was later baptized on May 11th, 1884. She was the daughter of John Long (born 1843), a coppersmith, and Martha Lucy Ley (born 1840), a laundress, both Bristol natives who had married in 1866. Florence's known siblings were: Mary Martha (born 1866), Edith Laura (born 1868), Walter John (born 1870), Albert George (born 1872), Mary Louisa (born 1874), Henry James (born 1877), and Lilian Maud (born 1883).

Florence and her family appear on the 1881 census living at Conduit Place, Bristol and on the 1891 census at Brighton Street, Bristol, moving 4 doors down for the 1901 census to Brighton Street. Florence, then at the age of 21, had no stated profession. She was married in 1906 to Somerset-native John James Ware (born 1865), a carpenter and a recent widower with a teenage son, Fred (born 1892). They appeared on the 1911 census, living at Grosvenor Road, Bristol.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
Florence and John boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton as 2nd class passengers on April 10th, 1912. They were due to have travelled on another ship but were transferred due to the coal strike. Their destination was to have been to her brother-in-law Charles Ware who was already living at South Main Street, New Britain, Connecticut. When there John was intending to start up in the carpentry trade. He was taking his tools and household effects with him on the Titanic together worth $1250 in cash. Florence later recounted:

"I heard the noise when the steamer hit the iceberg, but did not pay any attention to it. The next I knew a man was pounding on the door of our state-room and saying, 'Men and women put on life-belts and get upon deck'. We did not put on our lifebelts, but ran on deck. As soon as we arrived there some men led me towards a boat. I did not wish to leave my husband, but the men said I must.My husband just shook my hand and said I should go and that he would see me soon."

Florence is believed to have been rescued in lifeboat 10. John was lost.

'In our boat there were a lot of women, and one steward and a fireman. None of the men knew anything about managing a small boat, so some of the women who were used to it took charge. I had nothing on but a night-gown and was very cold and I worked as hard as I could at an oar until we were picked up. There was nothing to eat or drink in our boat.'

She tried to send a Marconigram from the RMS Carpathia to her mother's address but it wasn't transmitted because of the operators' workload.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
After spending a while with her brother-in-law she returned to England where Fred was still living. Fred later emigrated the following year, settling in Connecticut before his death in Florida in 1979. Florence never remarried and later settled in Plymouth, Devon. She died there on August 24th, 1973, just a few months shy of her 94th birthday.

She was cremated at Westin Mill cemetery and crematorium, Plymouth England on August 30th, 1873. Her ashes were scattered in the garden of remembrance.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Florence Louise Ware.