Lucile Carter: The Society Woman Who Took an Oar and Rowed for Survival

Lucile Carter: The Society Woman Who Took an Oar and Rowed for Survival

I have been learning about some of the people who were aboard the Titanic. I want to tell you about Lucile Carter.

She was born on the 8th of October 1875 in Baltimore, into a well-connected and comfortable family. By her teenage years she was already appearing in society pages. 

In 1896, she married William Ernest Carter, who was the heir to a large coal fortune. She became known for her bold fashion and her adventurous spirit, she took part in activities that were unusual for women of the time.  She rode astride a horse and drove a carriage through busy streets. 

By the early 1900s, the family were dividing their time between Europe and America. In April 1912, they boarded the RMS Titanic with their children and servants.

When the ship hit an iceberg on the 14th of April 1912, Lucile was luck to be able to get herself in a lifeboat with her children. There was not enough crew to manage the boat, so she took an oar and began to row. What an  image, a woman from high society, forced into action, not out of expectation but necessity. Later, she was recognised as one of the women who helped row the lifeboats to safety.

In 1914, she divorced her husband, and later accounts suggested that their marriage was not happy. It makes me wonder how the events of that night may have changed her perspective.

That same year, she remarried George Brooke Jr., and although the years that followed brought house fires and the disruptions of war. But they seemed happy and they had a daughter together.

She died on the 26th of October 1934 at the age of 59. 

What do you think defines courage, the actions we take in crisis, or the choices we make afterwards?

Scipio Africanus: Part One - The Roman General

Scipio Africanus: Part One - The Roman General

I have been learning about the Roman Republic and I wanted to find out more about some of the people that were there. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus was one of those people.

Today I am learning a bit about his early life. 

He was born around 236 BC, his family were the Cornelii Scipiones, a family where success was expected. He was surrounded by relatives who had held high office.  

When the Second Punic War broke started in 218 BC, everything changed. He followed his father into the army. During a clash near the river Ticinus, his father was surrounded by enemy cavalry led by Hannibal Barca. Scipio is said to have rode forward to help save him. 

In 216 BC, he served as a military tribune and witnessed the Roman defeat at the Battle of Cannae. Tens of thousands of soldiers were killed, and panic soon spread. But he helped rally those that were left. There is even a story that he forced fleeing nobles to swear they would not abandon Rome. Whether this is  embellished or not, it shows how he was remembered.

He continued to rise. In 213 BC, while he was still younger than most candidates, he was elected aedile, a public official. Some tried to block him because of his age, but the people really supported him. 

Do you think a crisis can reveal who someone really is, or do they create the person they become?

Image info:

Artist: Andrea Schiavone

Date: 1558

Collection: Kunsthistorisches Museum

Ursula Tibbels Auer: The Nurse Who Served Across Two World Wars

Ursula Tibbels Auer: The Nurse Who Served Across Two World Wars

I have been learning about the people who served in the wars. And I discovered Ursula Tibbels Auer.

She was born on the 23rd of April 1883 in Missouri in the United States, a time when women didn’t have many opportunities. She trained as a nurse in Kansas and then studied food science at the University of Washington. 

She worked as a teacher before becoming involved in nursing organisations. By the 1910s, she was already active in the Washington State Nurses Association.

When the First World War started, she served with the American Red Cross, she worked across Europe, including in France, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Serbia. In 1919, she took charge of an infant welfare work, which helped vulnerable families and also displaced children.

For this, she was awarded the Cross of Mercy. When she returned home, she got married to Carl Ludwig Auer in 1920 and together they started a family. During the 1920s, she co-founded a baby food company in Seattle, which helped to improve nutrition for children. She continued her work as a school nurse and social worker.

During the Second World War, she again served, teaching first aid, home nursing, and even gas mask use. She remained active in veterans’ and service organisations.

She lived a long life of service, passing away in 1981 at the age of 98.

She Survived the Titanic… Then Played Herself on Screen

She Survived the Titanic… Then Played Herself on Screen

I have been learning about the people who were on board Titanic, so today I want find out more about Dorothy Gibson.

She was born on the 17th of May 1889 in Hoboken in New Jersey, sadly her father died while she was still very young. Growing up at a time when opportunities for women were very limited, she found a way to by performing. By her late teens, she was working as a singer and a dancer and she appeared in theatre productions.

Around 1909, she became a model for the well-known illustrator Harrison Fisher. Her image was widely used, and she became known as one of his most recognisable “girls.” Her personal life was complicated, she married but sadly it did not last, like many women of her era, her private life did not always match the glamorous image that was presented to the public.

By 1911, she had moved into the world of film. She became one of the early actresses to be promoted as a star. Her natural acting style made her popular, and she seemed to be at the start of a long and successful career.

She married George Henry Battier Jr. in 1910, but the relationship did not last, and they separated not long after, and eventually divorced in 1913.

In April 1912, after spending a holiday in Italy, Dorothy and her mother boarded the RMS Titanic to return home to America. On the night of the 14th of April, she was relaxing with friends, then everything changed. When the ship hit the iceberg, the shock and confusion must have been immense. She and her mother managed to escape in Lifeboat 7, the first to boat be lowered into the sea. 

Within weeks of arriving back in New York, she wrote and starred in a film based on her experience, Saved from the Titanic. She even wore the same clothes she had worn that night. It must have been difficult to relive her trauma so soon, maybe she felt torn between a professional opportunity and her trauma. She was hugely successful but not long after filming she stepped away from movies, turning instead to music and she later moved to Europe. She went on to have a highly publicised relationship with film producer Jules Brulatour, which brought her both support and unfortunately scandal, because he was already married. She was also in a fatal car accident, where she tragically killed a pedestrian. Looking to distance herself from the gossip, she eventually settled in Paris, trying to reinvent her life away from the spotlight.

During the Second World War, she was living in Italy for a time. Unfortunately she became entangled in political tensions. She was arrested, and even imprisoned for anti-fascism. She did however manage to escape along with two other prisoners, with the help of the Italian resistance.

She spent her final years in France, where she died on the 17th of February 1946 at the age of 56. 

Do you think she ever found peace-or did the weight of those moments stayed with her for the rest of her life?

Servilia: The Woman Caught Between Caesar and the Assassin’s Son

Servilia: The Woman Caught Between Caesar and the Assassin’s Son

I have been learning  about the final years of the Roman Republic, and I wanted to find out just a little about Servilia.

She was born into a distinguished Roman family in around 100 BC, a time when status was everything. Her father was a consul, and she would have been raised to understand how important reputation was. She would have also had political awareness. 

Servilia’s father, Quintus Servilius Caepio, fell from influence after defeat at the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC, and this must have made her more aware than most of the dangers that surrounded politics. She would have learned to be careful. She did go on  to marry into another important family, which would have elevated her position in Roman society but like many Roman women, her marriage was more about creating an alliance than it was about her choice.

She went on to have Marcus Junius Brutus, someone who many of you would have heard of. He went on to become a very famous figure in Roman history. As his mother, she would have influenced his character. It is often said that Roman mothers were more influential than they were given credit for, they would have had a strong influence over their children, including their sons. In Servilia’s case, that influence was very strong.

Servilia also became close to some of the most powerful men in Rome. It is widely believed that she  had a long relationship with Julius Caesar. This relationship would have made her acutely aware of the tensions.

Her son, Brutus, became involved in a conspiracy against Caesar. On the one side was a man that she had been close to, and on the other was her son. Was she scared of what was coming? Do you think  she tried to influence events? Or do you think she just watched as everything unfolded?

After the assassination of Caesar on the 15th of March 44 BC, the world she had knew had begun to collapse. The Republic was thrown into complete chaos, and Brutus would eventually meet his end.

 

Her life shows us that even without power, women like Servilia were influential into the world of politics. Their influence was often unseen, but most definately present. They stood at the centre of the family and the decisions that shaped history itself.

Do you think Servilia had more influence than history gives her credit for, or were women still  powerless in a world controlled by men?

Image info:

Author

: Emile Reiber

Date: 1862

The P-51 Ace Who Fought German Jets and Survived Against the Odds

The P-51 Ace Who Fought German Jets and Survived Against the Odds

I have been learning about the people who served during the wars, and I wanted to tell you about Richard G. Candelaria.

He was born on the 14th of July 1922 in El Paso, growing up during the Great Depression. He sadly lost his father when he was still young age. As a young man, he was drawn to aviation and worked with aircraft instruments while he was studying.

In 1943, during World War II, he joined the United States Army Air Forces. After he had completed his training, he became a fighter pilot and was sent to England, flying escort missions in the P-51 Mustang. In December of 1944, he shot down two enemy aircraft.

On the 7th of April 1945, he encountered advanced German jets and multiple fighters. Despite these overwhelming odds, he still engaged them, he damaging a jet and shot down four enemy aircraft. An incredible feat.

Only days later, he was shot down and he was forced to evade capture. He was exhausted and hunted. He was captured but he later managed to escape and return to the Allied lines.

He was credited with six victories. He received the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, and multiple Air Medals. He retired as a colonel.

He passed away in 2024 at the age of 102. 

Hello

Hello to you wonderful people.

I just wanted to say to say check in.

I’m always looking for new directions to explore, so I thought I’d ask- is there anyone, any event, or even a time period you’d like me to discover next? It could be Titanic stories, Roman history, wartime figures, medieval Britain, or something completely different.

I also hope you’re enjoying these posts as much as I enjoy researching and writing them. Your ideas and suggestions always help shape where I go next, and I love seeing the discussions in the comments.

So… where should we discover next? Let’s discover history together.